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December 2017

electronics europe News

Perfecting virtual touch

Executive interview: mCube’s CEO, Ben Lee

Special Focus: Computer Vision

european
business press

November 2011 Electronic Engineering Times Europe1

 CONTENTS DECEMBER 2017

Dear readers, www.een

ewseurop
e.com

News
Enjoy 2017’s last edition of eeNews Europe before a well-deserved Christmas December
break, leading us to an exciting electronica year. 2017

In our industry, research and development seems to focus not just on electron
ics euro
pe News
components miniaturization, but also flexibility and wearability, with the
underlying promise that body-worn sensors and actuators will enrich or Perfectin
augment our lives beyond the tangible world. g virtual
touch
Going full circle, the digitization and modelization of our surroundings goes
back to analog when augmented reality and even virtual reality environments
feed our senses with wearable haptics, keeping us alert and stimulated not
only with sight and sound but also touch and probably soon with smell/taste.

Other features you’ll find covered in our December edition include Motors &
Drives and Data Acquisition.
Month after month, year after year, discover how technology matures and
moves from the lab to the industrialization stage.
Enjoy the December edition of eeNews Europe and don’t hesitate to get in Executive
interview
: mCube’s
Special Fo CEO, Ben
touch to tell us your stories, from starting up a company to developing your cus: Com
puter Visio
n
Lee

first prototypes, achieving your first product design-in, sharing your insight
europe
business an
press

on this fast-paced industry or to contribute your expertise on some of the Novemb

er 2011

topics we’ll be covering along the year.

Electroni
c Engineer
ing Time
s Europe
1
170525_6M
ill_EENE_E
U_Snipe.in
dd 1

5/25/17
10:50 AM

Julien Happich
Editor in Chief

4 - 48: OPINION 38 - 39: MOTORS & DRIVES

Uncommon Market: Sweden to build its A selection of components
own quantum computer to design your next motorised
applications, including gate
Last word: Will the power supply driver ICs and motor
industry adopt the cradle-to-cradle business model? position sensors for a number
of motor configurations.
6 - 33: NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
40 - 42: DATA ACQUISITION
Taking mCube into platforms and data
Ben Lee, CEO of MEMS company This product section
mCube, is training himself not to say the highlights some of the
word startup. The company, which was latest hardware and
founded in 2009, is now a growth com- software products for data
pany, Lee tells eeNews Europe. And it is acquisition, including
a growth company that is eager to break standalone instruments,
out from success in the smartphone data processing cards and
sector into the Internet of Moving Things (IoTM). sensor bits for a wide
variety of end applications.
34 - 37: COMPUTER VISION
46: READER OFFER
AI, neural networks and the edge This month, Silver
of the cloud Spring Networks is
The list of applications employing giving away five starter
intelligent and computer vision crosses kits for battery
multiple industries and market segments. sensor & edge com-
AI is already commonplace in both pute, worth €212 each
consumer applications, such as personal for eeNews Europe’s
assistants, and in commercial use cases readers to win.
such as credit card fraud detection, security and robotics.
And AI is expected to be the next general purpose
technology. 47: DISTRIBUTION CORNER

www.eenewseurope.com December 2017 News 3

 UNCOMMON MARKET QUANTUM COMPUTING

Sweden to build its own quantum computer

By Julien Happich

A
SEK 1 billion research initiative (a little over 100 million our society significantly, through improved artificial intelligence,
Euros), the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology secure encryption and more efficient design of medicines and
being launched under the leadership of Chalmers materials.
University of Technology, aims to take Sweden into the global “If Sweden is to continue to be a leading nation we need
race for quantum computing. to be at the forefront in these fields. By focusing on the long-
The focus is on developing a quantum computer with much term expansion of expertise and by attracting the best young
greater computing power than researchers we can put Sweden
the best supercomputers of on the quantum technology map
today. A quantum computer is in the long term. There are no
built of superconducting qubits, shortcuts. By investing in basic
electrical circuits on a microchip research we can ensure that
that can host quantum states the necessary infrastructure is
of single photons. Linking many in place so that over time other
qubits is relatively easy, but hav- players and companies can take
ing control of quantum states over and develop applications
and errors is difficult. Recently, and new technologies,” says
researchers have learnt to control Peter Wallenberg Jr, chairman of
individual quantum systems such the Knut and Alice Wallenberg
as individual atoms, electrons Foundation.
and particles of light, opening the In addition to the focus project
door to completely new possibili- the research programme includes
ties. a national excellence initiative
The initiative, headed up by Professor Per Delsing at with the aim of carrying out research and building up expertise
Chalmers University of Technology, has been made possible by in the four sub-areas of quantum technology: quantum comput-
an anniversary donation of SEK 600 million from the Knut and ers, quantum simulators, quantum communication and quantum
Alice Wallenberg Foundation. sensors.
The Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology needs to Chalmers University of Technology is coordinating the first
recruit about 50 researchers under a decade-long research pro- two sub-areas. The expansion of expertise in quantum commu-
gramme beginning in January 2018. In addition to the donation nication is headed up by Professor Gunnar Björk at KTH Royal
from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation further funds Institute of Technology, and Professor Stefan Kröll at Lund
are coming from industry, Chalmers University of Technology University is coordinating the quantum sensor field.
and other universities, resulting in a total budget of close to SEK Chalmers researchers have been working on superconduct-
1 billion. ing qubits for almost 20 years and have made many contribu-
“Our goal is to have a functioning quantum computer with at tions to enhance knowledge in the field, including publications
least a hundred qubits. Such a computer has far greater com- in Nature and Science. They were among the first in the world
puting power than the to create a supercon-
best supercomputers of ducting qubit, and have
today and can be used, explored a completely
for example, to solve new area of physics
optimisation problems, through wide-ranging
advanced machine experiments on individu-
learning, and heavy cal- al qubits.
culations of the proper- “I am pleased that
ties of molecules,” says our quantum physics
Per Delsing, Professor of researchers, along with
Quantum Device Physics colleagues in the rest of
at Chalmers University Sweden, will have this
of Technology and the opportunity to focus on
initiative’s programme a specific and important
director. goal in a way that all of
There is a great deal of interest in quantum technology Sweden can benefit from the knowledge acquired. I would also
throughout the world. Major investments are being made in like to extend my warmest thanks to the Wallenberg Foundation
the USA, Canada, Japan and China and the EU is launching for its deep commitment and long-term support,” says Stefan
a Quantum Technology Flagship in 2019. Companies such as Bengtsson, President and CEO of Chalmers.
Google and IBM are also investing in quantum computers and, In parallel with this, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Founda-
like Chalmers, have chosen to base them on superconducting tion is investing SEK 1 billion in artificial intelligence, channelled
circuits. Policy-makers and business managers are starting to through the Wallenberg Autonomous Systems and Software
realise that quantum technology has the potential to change Program (WASP), which was launched in 2015.

4 News December 2017 www.eenewseurope.com

 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
UK invests in quantum well, 2D magnetic sensors
By Peter Clarke
I
nnovateUK, the UK government’s innovation agency, has
made a £367,000 project award for a consortium based
around the Compound Semiconductor Centre to investigate
developing magnetic sensors in gallium arsenide and gallium
nitride.
The project – called CS MAGIC for Compound Semiconduc-
tor MAGnetic Integrated Circuits – is due to last 14 months and
is a feasibility study with the aim of delivering integrated sensor
prototypes at the chip level.
The work will be based on quantum well Hall-effect (QWHE)
magnetic sensing technology developed by Professor Mo-
hamed Missous, founder of Advanced Hall Sensors Ltd (AHS)
and a high electron mobility transistor (magHEMT) gallium
nitride device developed by Petar Igic at Swansea University.
The consortium comprises Compound Semiconductor Cen-
ter Ltd. (Cardiff, Wales) Advanced Hall Sensors Ltd. (Manches-
ter, England), The Welding Institute Technology Centre (Port Tal-
Groq to reveal potent artificial intelligence chip next year
By James Morra
G
roq, the secretive semiconductor start-up with roots in
Google’s machine learning chip team, plans to share its
first product sometime in 2018, according to its website
(www.groq.com). It is unclear if the company plans to start ship-
ping next year as well.
Groq’s website claims that its first chip will run 400 trillion
operations per second, more than twice Google’s latest tensor
processing unit – more commonly known as the TPU – which
supports 180 teraops in the training phase of deep learning. It
will perform eight trillion operations per watt, the website said.
Groq is tapping into a creative resurgence in the chip indus-
try to make custom server chips for artificial intelligence. Like
others, it is attempting to unseat
Nvidia, whose graphics chips are
currently the gold standard for
running the intense calculations
required to train deep learning
software and then make infer-
ences with it.
The start-up, funded with
$10.3 million from venture capi-
talist Chamath Palihapitiya, is
staffed with eight of the first 10
members of the team that de-
signed the TPU, including Groq’s founder Jonathan Ross. It also
recently hired Xilinx’s vice president of sales Krishna Rangas-
ayee as chief operating officer.
It would be an accomplishment for Groq to reveal its silicon
less than two years after it was founded. The company’s chip
engineers met similarly tight deadlines at Google, where they
taped out the first TPU in only around 14 months. The second
generation came out a year later in time for Google’s I/O confer-
ence.
Groq is not only battling Nvidia for the hearts and minds of
data scientists but also Google, which offers its custom silicon
over the cloud. It will also compete with Intel, which plans to
release a custom processor before the end of the year that
www.eenewseurope.com
COMPUTING
bot, Wales), Renishaw plc (Edinburgh) and Swansea University.
It will work to deliver commercial grade sensors for applications
including automotive current sensing, high resolution metrol-
ogy, non-destructive inspection and test, and security screening
applications.
“AHS has had considerable success in commercialising the
core technology with over 15 million discrete sensors shipped
to date, and this project will extend the functionality of sensing
platform for harsh environment and ultra-wide dynamic range
requirements to service a $3 billion market in magnetic sensing
solutions,” said Professor Missous, in a statement issued by
CSC.
Wyn Meredith, director of CSC, commented, “This project
will deliver an ‘all UK’ developed and manufactured solution
which leverages world-class compound semiconductor materi-
als and device expertise in the consortium matched with the
deep applications understanding of TWI and Renishaw.”
provides 55 trillion operations per second for training neural
networks.
Every chip company has painted a target on Nvidia, which
has a stranglehold over the market for deep learning hardware.
On Monday, Nvidia said that most major server manufacturers
and cloud computing firms were using graphics chips based on
its new Volta architecture. (It did not call out Google as one of
its customers).
Nvidia created Volta to handle machine learning software
faster and more efficiently than its previous designs. Like rivals,
Nvidia built it to take advantage of lower precision numbers that
require less computing power and memory to train self-driving
cars, for instance, or algorithms
that diagnose skin diseases.
Inside its Volta graphics chips
are hundreds of unique tensor
cores that can perform 120 trillion
operations per second.
These edits can be extremely
costly. Nvidia poured around $3
billion into the Volta architecture,
said Nvidia’s chief executive Jen-
sen Huang. And rival chipmakers
are raising hundreds of millions
of dollars – and bucking venture capital’s quarantine of the chip
industry for the last decade – to stay within striking distance.
Wave Computing has aimed $60 million at chips based on its
coarse-grained reconfigurable array architecture, which acts like
a hybrid of programmable chips called FPGAs and custom ones
called ASICs. Cerebras Systems has raised $112 million, giving
it a valuation of around $860 million, Forbes reported.
Graphcore just raised $50 million from venture capital firm
Sequoia Capital. Last month, the chipmaker shared preliminary
benchmarks that claim its intelligence processing unit – also
called the IPU – handles training and inferencing tasks 10 to
100 times faster than Nvidia’s previous Pascal architecture.
This article first appeared in Electronic Design.
December 2017 News 5
 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Europe to accelerate research on cyber-physical-systems
By Julien Happich
A
pan-European consortium of 14 project partners coordi-
nated by research institute Leti has just launched a three-
year European Commission program to facilitate the
acceleration of European cyber-physical-system
(CPS) solutions to market.
The FED4SAE project (short for Federated CPS
Digital Innovation Hubs for the Smart Anything
Everywhere) initiated last September aims to boost
the digitization of the European industry by strengthening com-
panies’ competitiveness in the CPS market.
Its goal is to create a pan-European network of Digital In-
novation Hubs (DIH), leveraging existing regional tech or busi-
nesses ecosystems across complete value chains and multiple
competencies required for the elaboration of complex cyber-
physical systems.
The network of DIHs will enable startups, SMEs and midcap
companies in all sectors to build and create new digital prod-
ucts, smart applications and services. The project mission also
includes innovation management – linking these companies to
suppliers and investors to create innovative CPS solutions and
accelerate their development and industrialization.
“FED4SAE will give birth to a competitive ecosystem that will
help European startups, SMEs and midcaps innovate and thrive
as they access leading technology sources, competencies and
industrial platforms,” said Leti project coordinator, Isabelle Dor.
“The network will also effectively link them to well-connected
business infrastructures, such as banks, investors and business
accelerators, and existing regional innovation hubs.
The FED4SAE project will fund industrial projects thanks to
the cascade-funding process set by the European Commission.
There will be three open calls over the course of the project. The
first call will support the best projects based on their innovation
potential and technical expertise, the maturity of the solution,
with technology-readiness levels between 3 and 6, and their ef-
Researcher builds supercomputer with Raspberry Pi boards
By Nick Flaherty
A
researcher at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the
US has developed an affordable,
scalable supercomputer system
using thousands of inexpensive Raspberry
Pi nodes.
The system brings a powerful high-per-
formance-computing testbed to system-
software developers and researchers
while reducing the cost and power
consumption compared to other HPC sys-
tems by using boards from the Raspberry
Pi Foundation in Cambridge.
“It’s not like you can keep a petascale
machine around for R&D work in scal-
able systems software,” said Gary Grider,
leader of the High Performance Comput-
ing Division at Los Alamos National Labo-
ratory, which hosts the Trinity supercomputer. “The Raspberry
Pi modules let developers figure out how to write this software
and get it to work reliably without having a dedicated testbed
6 News December 2017
DIGITAL INNOVATION
ficient management of the innovation to create a lasting impact
with the developed solution.
This pan-European network will enable companies to use
CPS platforms combined with expertise and
knowhow from the R&D advanced platforms. The
ultimate goal of each industrial project within FED-
4SAE is to develop a complete solution that can get
to market and scale.
This includes combining hardware and software components
and deploying them in a range of testbeds prior to deployment
into the targeted market, as well as support in business model-
ing and market insights through guidance from conceptual
design through market launch. Application experiments will be
funded for developing innovative CPS products that will in-
crease the competitiveness of European innovative companies.
For the first open call, proposals can be submitted from now
until the 6th of February 2018. The expected average funding
per applicant is €50,000 with a maximum of €60,000 for one
application experiment.
Details about the project, including available competencies,
platforms and design centers, as well as all necessary guide-
lines, templates and eligibility documents are available at www.
FED4SAE.eu
An additional goal of the €6.7 million project is to assure the
sustainability of the Digital Innovation Hubs network.
In addition to project coordinator Leti, project participants
include, Intel Research and Development Ireland (Ireland),
STMicroelectronics SRL (Italy), STMicroelectronics Grenoble
(France), Thales SA (France), AVL List GmbH (Austria), Digi-
tal Catapult (UK), Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Germany), Fortiss
GmbH (Germany), CSEM (Switzerland), KTH Royal Institute of
Technology (Sweden), Budapest University of Technology and
Economics (Hungary), Cantabria University (Spain), Blumorpho
SAS (France).
of the same size, which would cost a quarter billion dollars and
use 25 megawatts of electricity.”
The system consists of five rack-mounted
Pi Cluster Modules, each with 150 four-
core nodes of Raspberry Pi ARM proces-
sor boards. They are fully integrated with
network switching infrastructure. With a total
of 750 CPUs with 3,000 cores, the sys-
tem gives developers exclusive time on an
inexpensive but highly parallelized platform
for test and validation of scalable systems
software technologies. The whole system
uses 2.2kW of power.
“Having worked with Raspberry Pi for
quite some time, I’ve long thought it the
ideal candidate to build low-cost cloud and
cluster computing solutions for research and
education,” said Bruce Tulloch, CEO of BitScope in Australia
which developed the racks. The Pi Cluster Modules can also
be used for better simulation of large-scale sensor networks,
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 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Taking mCube into platforms and data
By Peter Clarke
B
en Lee, CEO of MEMS company mCube, is training
himself not to say the word startup. The company, which
was founded in 2009, is now a growth company, Lee tells
eeNews Europe. And it is a growth company
that is eager to break out from success in
the smartphone sector into the Internet of
Moving Things (IoTM).
The company’s success has come from
its accelerometers and inertial MEMS sen-
sors in entry- and mid-level smartphones.
Its technology is a method of integrating
MEMS motion sensors above electronics
circuitry and hermetically sealing it from
above using standard CMOS wafer pro-
cessing. Through-silicon via (TSV) connec-
tions minimize the use of area-hungry bond
wires and it has been used to produce the
industry’s smallest accelerometers, includ-
ing devices just 1.1mm by 1.3mm, the size
of a grain of sand. mCube’s CEO Ben Lee
A series C funding round of $37 million
funding in June 2014 came from such investors as Kleiner
Perkins Caufield & Byers, MediaTek, SK Telecom (China)
Ventures and Korea Investment Partners.
Back in 2014 mCube had shipped a respectable 60
million units partly by working with investor MediaTek.
As of May 2017, mCube had shipped 300 million units, Lee
said. “And in the third quarter of 2017 we shipped 37 million
and its climbing quarter on quarter.”
Lee estimates that break-even point for the company will
come in the second half of 2018. However, 90 percent of
mCube’s sales are still in smartphones. “We have to expand
our IoT business,” said Lee. “We are beyond VC now. We are
a growth player now. We don’t need money for working capital
but if we want to make acquisitions
we will raise money,” he added.
Which is what mCube did so that
it could acquire Xsens (Enschede,
The Netherlands) from On Semicon-
ductor for about $26 million recently.
Lee explains that the deal made
sense for mCube on a number of
levels. Xsens is a good business in
its own right with a focus on sen-
sor fusion software and installing
that software into modules and
subsystems. Not only does this take
mCube up the food chain to higher mCube’s 3D accelerometer MC3672.
value sales but it also takes mCube
to more application-specific sales where customers are telling
Xsens what specifications are important to them in areas as
diverse as medical, industrial, smart cities and smart homes.
“The Internet of Moving Things is not really about selling
sensors, although sensor sales will result. It is about providing
solutions, which might be hardware-and-software, software, or
a service,” said Lee.
Lee said Xsens, with about 70 employees, is being set up
as a wholly-owned subsidiary. Xsens has a very good brand
recognition so they will continue under that name, Lee added.
8 News December 2017
EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW
“They are given the freedom to design with mCube hardware or
not,” he added.
mCube is developing an inertial sensor with a licensed mi-
crocontroller core on-board. Lee is deter-
mined to push home mCube’s integration
advantage at the subsystem level with RF,
sensor and MCU as a single component.
Lee declined to go public on which core he
has licensed although there is an increasing
number of licensable options.
Lee acknowledges that the wearables
and IoTM has not developed that quickly
over the last three years. But nonetheless
it is an environment where mCube has a
CMOS integration advantage and, as yet,
few competitors.
“We have customers coming to us saying
they HAVE to use us because of size,” said
Lee. mCube’s 3D accelerometer MC3672
measures just 1.1mm by 1.3mm and is
0.74mm high.” This is highly beneficial for
inclusion in flexible PCBs, smart watches, hearing aids.
But this does present a dilemma. “We have to continue to
grow our smartphone penetration. You need volume to drive
down cost.” Meanwhile the IoT market is highly fragmented with
numerous low-volume opportunities and only a few high-volume
ones.
Lee sees the way forward with a three or four box business
model:
The first box is mCube the successful fabless semiconduc-
tor company. It sells in high volume with ASPs in 30 cents to
$2 range. The third box is Xsens. Xsens sells hard-software
subsystems that application specific and in much lower volume
but with prices in the range $100 to thousands of dollars
The second box is mCube Mod-
ules where mCube fills the gap with
platform sales, often for IoTM and
wearables in the $2 to $20 range.
“We don’t compete with our custom-
ers but in the IoTM space they may
be less sophisticated customers than
in smartphones. They are looking for
a working platform that is easy to
integrate.”
In the spirit of a news mCube
modules approach to the market the
company will take a wearable refer-
ence design to the Consumer Elec-
tronics Show in Las Vegas, January
2018. “We can provide that wearable as a bill of materials list
plus software, or assembled PCB with software or as a boxed
product with the customer’s logo on it.
And what is the fourth box?
Lee reminds us that three years ago mCube created a sub-
sidiary called Ten Degrees Inc. to focus on business related to
indoor navigation. Although indoor dead reckoning by inertial
sensors has a tarnished reputation due to accumulated errors,
Ten Degrees is working on multiple methods to get around that.
www.eenewseurope.com

“Really Ten Degrees is about a data-driven business model,”
said Lee arguing that in time it could be larger than all the other
boxes in the mCube business model.
“Ten Degrees has a contract with Panasonic on an RF
beacon-based system for calibration of the inertial system and
correction for drift. But really what Ten Degrees has is a cali-
brated dead reckoning system. The calibration can be provided
by whatever.”
However, Lee admits that Ten Degrees is no longer wholly-
owned by mCube. “Foxconn is a minority shareholder. They
are interested in it using it for their own tracking manufacturing
logistics and personnel safety,” said Lee.
Stanford researchers turn optical fibres
telecom network into earthquake observatory
By Julien Happich
R
esearchers from Stanford University have demonstrated
it is possible to leverage existing optical fibres telecom
networks buried under just about any city to detect the
slightest seismic events, including their direction and magni-
tude.
The fibre optic seismic observatory mapped as a 3-mile,
figure-8 loop of optical fibres installed beneath the Stanford
campus. (Image credit: Stamen Design and the Victoria and
Albert Museum)
According to Biondo Biondi, a professor of geophysics at
Stanford’s School of Earth, Energy & Environmental Sciences,
such dense networks could be turned into an inexpensive
“billion sensors” observatory for continuously monitoring and
studying earthquakes. Instead of relying on dedicated and
expensive seismic sensors placed far apart, the researchers
install a laser interrogator, an instrument provided by company
OptaSense, at one end of an optical fibre. The instrument sends
pulses of laser light into the fibre and monitors the backscat-
tered light. Any changes in the timing of that backscatter can
be correlated to displacements of the fibre as it stretches or
contract when the ground moves during an earthquake. And
a single interrogator can cover some 40 kilometres of fibre,
according to Biondi, akin to monitoring a virtual sensor every
couple of meters.
“We can continuously listen to the Earth using pre-existing
optical fibres that have been deployed for telecom purposes,”
Biondi explains.
As a proof-of-concept, the researchers have been record-
www.eenewseurope.com
EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW
But it is also clear that if Foxconn can make such an IoMT
system work in its own factories, then it could be generalized as
a major platform for industrial progress.
Clearly these are exciting times for mCube but future suc-
cess will depend on leveraging is tiny size advantage to markets
other than smartphones. It depends on how quickly wearables,
smart city, smart medical, smart industry take off. And as a
private company with venture capitalists on board, on avoiding
predation by others.
For now, Lee’s vision would appear to be build mCube into
a substantial company that ticks multiple boxes for multiple
customers.
ing seismic tremors in a 3-mile loop of optical fibre installed
beneath the Stanford University campus. Since the fibre optic
seismic observatory began operation in September 2016, it
has recorded and catalogued more than 800 events, ranging
from manmade events and small, barely felt local temblors to
powerful, deadly
catastrophes like the
recent earthquakes
that struck more
than 2,000 miles
away in Mexico. In
one experiment, the
underground array
picked up signals
from two small local
earthquakes with
magnitudes of 1.6
and 1.8.
The array was
proven to distinguish
between two different
types of waves that
The fibre optic seismic observatory travel through the
successfully detected the 8.2 magnitude Earth, P waves which
earthquake that struck central Mexico on are generally less
damaging but arrive
Sept. 8, 2017. (Image credit: Siyuan Yuan)
much earlier, and S
waves. This capability could be used as an early earthquake
warning system.
Although seismometers used today are more sensitive than
the proposed telecom array, their coverage is sparse and they
can be challenging and expensive to install and maintain, espe-
cially in urban areas.
In comparison, a seismic observatory like the one Biondi
proposes would be relatively inexpensive to operate, with every
meter of optical fibre in the network acting like a sensor, some-
thing that could not be achieved economically with seismic
sensors.
The researchers envision that such a network would allow
scientists to study even small earthquakes in greater detail, pin-
pointing their sources more quickly than is currently possible.
The data could also be used by Civil engineers to visualize how
buildings and bridges respond to small earthquakes.
December 2017 News 9
 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Carmakers launch European open charging network
By Christoph Hammerschmidt
W
ith the launch of a joint venture named IONITY, the
BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and
the Volkswagen Group together with Audi and Porsche
set the course for the development of the most powerful high-
speed charging network for electric vehicles in Europe. The
construction and operation of around 400 high-speed charging
stations by 2020 are important steps towards ensuring electric
mobility on long-haul routes and thus establishing them in the
market.
The new company, headquartered in
Munich, has commenced operations.
Michael Hajesch (CEO) and Marcus Groll
(COO) assume the management of the joint
venture (JV). The availability of a nationwide
high-power charging network is essential
for the market penetration of electromobil-
ity. The founding of IONITY is an important
milestone, which shows that the car manu-
facturers are joining forces to achieve this
goal. “With the creation of the first pan-European high-power
charging (HPC) network, we are making electromobility suitable
for long-distance travel,” says Hajesch.
By 2020, IONITY plans to set up and operate a total of
around 400 fast charging stations. The first twenty stations
will be built in 2017, on motorways and major traffic arteries in
Germany, Norway and Austria, among others. They will be open
to the public and will be located at a distance of about 120
kilometres from each other. IONITY relies on cooperation with
partners such as Tank & Rast, Circle K and OMV and benefits
Solid state rechargeable aluminium-sulphur battery project starts
By Nick Flaherty
A
€3m project has started developing a new type of
rechargeable solid state battery that could revolutionise
the industry.
The Sulphur-Aluminium Battery with Advanced Polymeric
Gel Electrolytes (SALBAGE) project could produce a solid state
battery with an energy density over five times that of today’s
lithium ion cells without the dendrites that cause short-circuits
and fires. This would also avoid shortages in lithium and cobalt
that are predicted in the current sup-
ply chain.
The project, which started last
month, is led by Spanish battery
developer Albufera Energy Storage
in Madrid with Scionix in the UK and
research at the UK universities of
Leicester and Southampton as well as
the technical universities of Graz and
Denmark.
The aim is to develop near-solid electrolytes based on
polymerizable ionic liquids with high conductivity. At the same
time, the aluminium negative electrode will be combined with
a sulphur positive electrode including the first use of redox
mediators to boost the performance. All three techniques have
been shown to work, but not been combined until now.
“We have this crazy idea of batteries based on aluminium
10 News December 2017
ELECTROMOBILITY
from their attractive locations.
Europe-wide scaling to over one hundred rapid charging
stations is planned for 2018. Each of the quick charging stations
will have several charging stations. This will give customers ac-
cess to thousands of HPC charging points by 2020, regardless
of brand and performance. The HPC network uses the Euro-
pean Combined Charging System (CCS). The charging capacity
of up to 350 kW per charging point enables vehicles designed
for this purpose to charge in significantly shorter times than
currently available systems. The openness of
the system and its Europe-wide distribution will
help to significantly increase the acceptance of
electric vehicles.
The IONITY network is to be implemented
with a focus on the choice of location based on
customer requirements. Another focus is on in-
telligent linking with existing loading solutions.
To this end, IONITY is in intensive exchange
with existing infrastructure initiatives. By invest-
ing in the development of the IONITY network, the participating
car manufacturers are bundling their commitment to electromo-
bility. In addition, the alliance is building on cross-industry and
international cooperation and strong partnerships. The founding
partners BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and
the Volkswagen Group with Audi and Porsche will participate in
the JV in equal shares. Other car manufacturers are welcome to
actively participate in the expansion of the HPC network. The
IONITY team will comprise around 50 employees at the begin-
ning of 2018 and will be gradually expanded.
and sulphur that, if we are successful, will have a great impact
on society,” said Juan Maria Garcia Lastra, senior researcher at
TU Denmark.
The new battery is expected to have a high energy density of
1000Wh/kg and low price at 60% of today’s Li-ion technology.
The battery will be flexible and shapeable for applications such
as electric cars and trucks, aircraft and IT. In comparison, lead
batteries have an energy density of 40Wh/kg, and Li-ion batter-
ies have 160Wh/kg.
“This is a very exciting project and
source of the funding is very pres-
tigious because of the competitive
nature of the scheme. Success rates
have varied between only 2% and
4%,” said Professor Karl Ryder, from
Leicester University’s Department of
Chemistry. “We have been working
towards this for a while now with proj-
ects in metal ion chemistry (plating and polishing) in new and
novel types of ionic liquid electrolytes. The Leicester group is
well known in the academic community as well as in the materi-
als finishing industry as a source of expertise for ionic liquids.”
The SALBAGE project runs until 2020 and will have to dem-
onstrate the lifetime, charge holding and charging cycles of the
new cell.
www.eenewseurope.com
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 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
French company launches fully autonomous taxi
By Nick Flaherty
F
rench developer Navya in Lyon has launched a dedicated
electric taxi that is fully autonomous without a steering
wheel or place for a driver.
The Autonom CAB carries up to six passengers at a maxi-
mum speed of 90 kph (55mph) using 22 or 33kWh lithium phos-
phor battery packs (LiFePO4) with up to 10 hours of operation.
To achieve the Level 5 autonomous operation it uses ten
Lidar sensors (three giving 360 degree
visibility and the rest with 145 degree vis-
ibility), six cameras, four radars, two GNSS
satellite antennas and an inertial measure-
ment unit (IMU). These sensors provide
at least a triple redundancy across all func-
tions, says the company. It also uses high
precision GPS RTK positioning and high
resolution maps for navigation.
“Imagine what cities would be like if
there were nothing but Autonoms running
on the road. No more traffic jams or park-
ing problems, fewer accidents and less pollution,” said Chris-
tophe Sapet, CEO of Navya. “At Navya, we recognize that the
status of individual cars is rapidly changing, especially among
younger generations, many of whom don’t have their driver’s
license and are less attached to the concept of owning a car.
What they want are mobility solutions available 24/7, ensuring
Making artificial intelligence more private and portable
By Jean-Pierre Joosting
T
he University of Waterloo has developed technology that
paves the way for AI to break free of the internet and
cloud computing. New deep-learning AI software pro-
duced using this technology is compact enough to fit on mobile
computer chips for use in everything from smartphones to
industrial robots.
That would allow devices to operate independent of the
internet while using AI that performs almost as well as tethered
neural networks.
“We feel this has enormous potential,”
said Alexander Wong, a systems design
engineering professor and Waterloo and
co-creator of the technology. “This could
be an enabler in many fields where people
are struggling to get deep-learning AI in an
operational form.”
The use of stand-alone deep-learning AI
could lead to much lower data processing
and transmission costs, greater privacy and
use in areas where existing technology is
impractical due to expense or other factors.
Deep-learning AI, which mimics the human brain by process-
ing data through layers and layers of artificial neurons, typi-
cally requires considerable computational power, memory and
energy to function.
Researchers took a page from evolutionary forces in na-
ture to make that AI far more efficient by placing it in a virtual
environment, then progressively and repeatedly depriving it of
12 News December 2017
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
their safety and well-being at a reduced cost. Autonom CAB is
leading edge and will revolutionize both habits and technology,
enabling a great many people to gain access to a brand-new
mobility solution.”
It will be available as either a private or shared service via a
dedicated smartphone application called Navya APP to order
the cab. Current plans are for the taxi to begin service in the
second quarter of 2018. Navya already
has various partnership agreements with
transport specialists, notably with Keolis
in Europe and the United States and
with RAC in Australia. These partner-
ships will enable Navya to roll out fleets
of Autonoms that will operate on the
open road in city centres. Other partner-
ships are set to be announced during the
Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2018
in Las Vegas in January.
This follows on from a slower, larger
shuttle that has been used commercially on private sites for
the last year. The previous shuttle was involved in an accident
earlier this week when it started operation in Las Vegas where
it was hit by a truck at slow speed. Alphabet subsidiary Waymo
has announced plans for a driverless taxi service in the US us-
ing converted electric vehicles.
resources.
The deep-learning AI responds by adapting and changing
itself to keep functioning each time computational power and
memory are taken away.
“These networks evolve themselves through generations and
make themselves smaller to be able to survive in these envi-
ronments,” said Mohammad Javad Shafiee, a systems design
engineering research professor at Waterloo and the technol-
ogy’s co-creator.
In work recently presented during the In-
ternational Conference on Computer Vision
in Venice, Italy, the researchers achieved a
200-fold reduction in the size of deep-learn-
ing AI software used for a particular object
recognition task.
When put on a chip and embedded in a
smartphone, such compact AI could run its
speech-activated virtual assistant and other
intelligent features, greatly reducing data us-
age and operating without internet service.
Other potential applications range from use in low-cost
drones and smart grids, to surveillance cameras and manufac-
turing plants, where there are significant issues around stream-
ing sensitive or proprietary data to the cloud.
Wong and Shafiee, who have co-founded a company called
DarwinAI to commercialize their efficient AI software, were
“amazed” at the results when they first attempted their ap-
proach to evolving deep-learning AI about three years ago.
www.eenewseurope.com

Differentiate or loose! Yole’s analysis
on LED phosphors and QDs
By Julien Happich
A
ccording to Dr. Eric Virey, Senior
Technology & Market Analyst at
Yole Développement, volume
saturation, price pressure and a shifting
intellectual property landscape are forc-
ing the LED phosphor & QDs industry
into a rationalization phase, with innova-
tion key for survival.
In its recent report “Phosphors &
Quantum Dots 2017 - LED Downcon-
verters for Lighting & Displays”, Yole
highlights that most of those companies Trends in conversion schemes for lighting (source: Phosphors Pacific Light Technology
do not have any elements of differen- & Quantum Dots 2017 - LED Downconverters for Lighting &
tiation, be it on performance or manu-
Displays, Yole Développement.)
facturing cost that could allow them to
survive in the mid and long term. For most phosphor suppliers,
the name of the game is to keep decreasing costs as volume
increase and revenue remain essentially flat.
On the IP front, key patents held by Nichia and Osram have
started expiring in 2017 and will continue to do so in 2018.
While both companies have since built on those patents and
created broad families of intellectual property (IP), it will become
much more difficult for them to prevent competitors from using
garnet phosphors in their LED packages.
As a result, phosphor families such as silicates and yel-
low nitrides (LYSN) are expected to lose market share as LED
packages transition to garnets. The switch will especially affect
silicates, which are perceived to have lower performance than
yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) and other garnets.
However, some of the most recent silicate compositions de-
veloped by tier-1 suppliers are now matching YAG performance
but come at a premium price. Leading phosphor suppliers with
a strong focus on silicate materials must therefore diversify their
portfolio. They need to create new silicate compositions with
unique features to meet specific demands in various high added
value lighting applications.
LYSN might fare better in the long term. Yellow nitrides
have exhibited steady and continuous performance improve-
ment since entering the market in 2010. The material is already
matching garnet performance in most aspects and, being less
mature, still offers significant room for improvement. Attractive
features of yellow nitride include a lower infrared tail that could
translate to higher efficiency compared to YAG. Leaders in ni-
tride phosphors could therefore find a new growth driver as the
red nitride market reaches saturation.
Quantum dots now challenging phosphors
For wide color gamut (WCG) TVs and monitors, potassium
fluorosilicates (PFS/KSF) and phosphors in general are now
being challenged by quantum dots (QDs), which are gaining
rapid acceptance, notes Virey. In 2017, QDs can be found in
47% of WCG TVs. QDs deliver the best color gamut and higher
efficiency, allowing LCD TV manufacturers to deliver improved
image quality rivaling that of OLEDs in many regards without
having to invest in new fabs. Yole sees QDs set to dominate the
rapidly emerging market for high performance WCG TVs and
www.eenewseurope.com
LED LIGHTING
monitors. However, the
emergence of a narrow-
band green phosphor
with the appropriate
center wavelength could
challenge this dominance
and disrupt the market.
QDs have also made
significant progress
toward “on-chip” con-
figurations. Lumileds and
have demonstrated the
first commercial grade,
high color rendering
index (CRI) mid-power LEDs based on high-stability QDs. How-
ever, more work is needed to reduce the cadmium content to
levels meeting international regulations on heavy metals.
The technology could be ready for 2019 but whether or not
LED makers will be willing to adopt a downconverter solution
containing cadmium will depend on the performance gap that
those QD-based LEDs will deliver compared to traditional phos-
phors, estimates the analyst.
In displays new phosphor compositions have also rapidly
gained market share. After the rise of green silicon aluminum
oxygen and nitrogen compounds (SiAlONs), red nitrides are be-
ing displaced by PFS which has already captured a 34% share
in WCG TVs.
After five years of cut-throat competition that has driven
prices to levels that nobody would have believed sustainable
just a few years back, phosphor prices halted their free fall in
2016. The most mature compositions such as garnets have
reached bottom. But nitride, oxynitride and KSF still have room
for significant decline that will offset modest volume growth
as the LED market reaches saturation toward the end of the
decade.
In this environment, Yole expects further rationalization of the
industry landscape with tier-2 and -3 companies in China exit-
ing the business, mostly due to their lack of differentiation.
Yet, a handful of domestic players such as Grirem or Yuji Sci-
ence are emerging as long term credible competitors alongside
established leaders such as Intematix and Mitsubishi Chemical.
The LED industry still has unmet needs in terms of phosphors
and new trends and applications such as high CRI lighting and
human-centric lighting are generating new demands for ef-
ficiency and spectral engineering.
Companies able to develop and commercialize new narrow-
band red and, to a lesser extent, green materials could last
long-term if they can secure their innovations with strong intel-
lectual property. Other needs, such as good cyan phosphors
and red ceramics, could enable more companies, including new
entrants, to succeed in this challenging market.
While price ranges for established compositions will nar-
row, Yole expects a significant gap between low end and top
performers to persist. This will enable some suppliers to keep
capturing significant added value through improved materials.
December 2017 News 13
 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Organic electronics beyond cell phone screens
By Jean-Pierre Joosting
R
esearchers from Princeton University, the Georgia
Institute of Technology and Humboldt University in Berlin
have made a breakthrough that points the way to more
widespread use of an advanced technology generally known as
organic electronics.
Organic semiconductors are prized for their applications in
emerging technologies such as flexible electronics, solar energy
conversion, and high-quality colour displays for smartphones
and televisions. The advance should particularly help with
organic light-emitting diodes that operate at high energy to emit
colours such as green and blue.
“Organic semiconductors are ideal materials for the fab-
rication of mechanically flexible devices with energy-saving
low temperature processes,” said Xin Lin, a doctoral student
and a member of the Princeton research team. “One of their
major disadvantages has been their
relatively poor electrical conductivity.
In some applications, this can lead to
difficulties and inefficient devices.”
The research, published in the
journal Nature Materials, describes a
new approach for greatly increasing
the conductivity of organic semicon-
ductors, which are formed of carbon-
based molecules rather than silicon
atoms. The dopant, a ruthenium-
containing compound, is a reducing
agent, which means it adds electrons
to the organic semiconductor as part
of the doping process. The addition
of the electrons is the key to increas-
ing the semiconductor’s conductivity.
The compound belongs to a newly-
introduced class of dopants called
dimeric organometallic dopants.
Unlike many other powerful reduc-
ing agents, these dopants are stable
when exposed to air but still work as
strong electron donors both in solu-
tion and solid state.
Researchers used ultraviolet light
to excite molecules in a semicon-
ductor, triggering reactions that split
up and activated a dopant. Image
courtesy of Jing Wang and Xin Lin.
Seth Marder and Stephen Barlow from the Georgia Institute
of Technology, who led the development of the new dopant,
called the ruthenium compound a “hyper-reducing dopant.”
They said it is unusual, not only for its combination of electron
donation strength and air stability, but in its ability to work with
a class of organic semiconductors that have previously been
very difficult to dope. In studies conducted at Princeton, the re-
searchers found that the new dopant increased the conductivity
of these semiconductors about a million times.
The ruthenium compound is a dimer, which means it con-
sists of two identical molecules, or monomers, connected by
a chemical bond. As is, the compound is relatively stable and,
when added to these difficult-to-dope semiconductors, it does
not react and remains in its equilibrium state.
14 News December 2017
ORGANIC ELECTRONICS
That posed a problem because to increase the conductiv-
ity of the organic semiconductor, the ruthenium dimer needs to
react with the semiconductor it and then split apart.
Lin, the Princeton doctoral student who was lead author of
the Nature Materials article, said the researchers looked for
different ways to break up the ruthenium dimer and activate the
doping. Eventually, he and Berthold Wegner, a visiting graduate
student from the group of Norbert Koch at Humboldt University,
took a hint from how photosynthetic systems work.
They irradiated the system with ultraviolet light, which ex-
cited molecules in the semiconductor and initiated the reaction.
Under exposure to the light, the dimers were able to dope the
semiconductor, leading to a roughly 100,000 times increase in
the conductivity. After that, the researchers made an interesting
observation.
“Once the light is turned off, you
might expect the reverse reaction to
occur and the increased conductivity
to disappear,” Marder said. “However,
that is not the case.”
The researchers found that the ru-
thenium monomers remained isolated
in the semiconductor – increasing
conductivity – even though thermody-
namics should return the molecules
to their original configuration as
dimers. Antoine Kahn, the Stephen C.
Macaleer ‘63 Professor in Engineering
and Applied Science who leads the
research team, said the physical lay-
out of the molecules inside the doped
semiconductor provides a likely
answer to this puzzle. The hypothesis
is that the monomers are scattered
in the semiconductor in such a way
that it is very difficult for them to
return to their original configuration
and re-form the ruthenium dimer. To
reform, he said, the monomers must
be facing in the correct orientation,
but in the mixture they remain askew.
So, even though thermodynamics
shows that dimers should reform,
most never snap back together.
“The question is why aren’t these things moving back
together into equilibrium,” said Kahn. “The answer is they are
kinetically trapped.”
In fact, the researchers observed the doped semiconductor
for over a year and found very little decrease in the electrical
conductivity. Also, by observing the material in light-emitting
diodes fabricated by the group of Barry Rand, an assistant pro-
fessor of electrical engineering at Princeton and the Andlinger
Center for Energy and the Environment, the researchers dis-
covered that doping was continuously re-activated by the light
produced by the device. “The light activates the system more,
which leads to more light production and more activation until
the system is fully activated,” said Marder the Georgia Power
Chair, in Energy Efficiency and Regents Professor of Chemistry.
“This alone is a novel and surprising observation.”
www.eenewseurope.com
 LIGHT HARVESTING

Flower-inspired texture to boost photovoltaics

By Julien Happich

A
s a follow up research on bio-inspired light-harvesting First, the incident light is scattered by the micro-cones to
textures mimicking the surface of roses’ petals, research- higher propagation angles inside the resist layer, then any trans-
ers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) mitted light reflected at the resist/solar cell interface is efficiently
have investigated how a photoresist coating imprinted with retro-reflected toward the solar cell (by reaching the micro-
the texture of Viola petals could further improve light input into cones from below).
photovoltaic cells.
In a paper titled “Texture of the
Viola Flower for Light Harvesting
in Photovoltaics” published in the
ACS Photonics Letter, lead author
Raphael Schmager notes that after
investigating the light harvesting of
various biomimetic plant textures
(featuring conical surface elements),
those with the highest aspect ratios
correlate with reduced reflection
losses at the front side of solar
cells.
Stepping up their game from
the texture of Rosa “El Toro” (by R. External Quantum Efficiency plotted versus
Hünig et al.) which they reproduced incident wavelengths on viola-textured (red)
with interesting results (with an and non-textured (blue) silicon solar cells.
aspect ratio of 0.6), the research-
Inserts, a photograph of the original viola petal Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image
ers turned their attention to another
and the solar cells side by side. Credit KIT. of the replicated viola surface texture from
plant species, Viola wittrockiana,
whose petal surface texture has an aspect ratio of around 1.2, In effect the the top and a close-up (bottom) from the
boasting significantly lower reflection losses at arbitrary angle micro-cones not side showing the nano-wrinkles. Credit KIT.
compared to any petal investigated previously. only reduce the
The idea being to maximize light harvesting at the surface front side reflection but also limit light out-coupling.
of solar cells, the researchers first cast a viola petal into a Then the visible wavelength-scale nano-wrinkles adorning
polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) mould to get a template. Once the micro-cones act as an additional antireflection coating.
cured, the silicone rubber viola stamp was used as a master to Asked if they expect to be able to design their own optimized
imprint the texture into a transparent ultraviolet-curable photo- antireflective and internal retro-reflective microstructures, lead
resist, on top of a one square centimetre c-Si solar cell. author Schmager is positive.
This trick alone accounted for a 6% improvement in power “”We are currently working on artificially designed textures
conversion efficiency (PCE) compared to an untreated c-Si for even better light harvesting in photovoltaics. The goal here
cell encapsulated with a flat transparent resist layer of same is to maintain the impressive optical properties found in nature
thickness. The scientists measured that the imprinted coating and gain an optimized texture for solar cell applications””,
reduced the reflectance at the resist/air interface, from 4.5% Schmager briefly told eeNews Europe.
to 1% for close to normal incidence. And at a more oblique
incidence angle of 80°, the viola texture reflected 30% less light
than the planar reference, exhibiting a broadband reduction of
reflectance. But reducing the surface’s reflectance is not all.
The researchers further observed that the complex viola texture
behaved as a retro-reflector for back side illumination, with
transmittance for front side lighting more than 30% higher than
for the illumination of the back side.
This means that once light has been efficiently harvested by
the texture (through reduced reflectance), any light that may be
reflected at the resist/solar cell interface is retro-reflected back
toward the solar cell again.
Closer examination of the viola’s petals under scanning elec-
tron microscopy reveals micro- and nanoscale textures, with
micro-cones in the order of tens of micrometres, ribbed with
nano-wrinkles well under a micron wide, coinciding with visible
wavelengths. The researchers performed separate ray trac- The viola surface texture (red layer) applied to a planar
ing simulations of the micro- and nano-textures to get a better
heterojunction silicon solar cell. Credit KIT.
understanding of the optical effects at play.

www.eenewseurope.com December 2017 News 15

 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Perfecting virtual touch
By Julien Happich
U
ntil recently largely focused on
the design and manufacture of
medical devices, 30-year old
company Morgan Innovation & Technol-
ogy Limited (MIAT) is now expanding its
horizons, making others benefit from its
inventions beyond the medical world.
One of the latest projects the company
is pursuing for its diversification is the
design of a glove-based touch simula-
tion technology, dubbed RealSim.
With RealSim, the company aims to
provide the most realistic sensation of
touch available in the market for virtual
reality applications, ranging from gam-
ing to training emergency services and
hospital doctors to rehab or for military simulation exercises.
Based in Petersfield (Hampshire, UK) MIAT is not a huge
company, having only about 38 employees. But as well as
designing, manufacturing and commercializing its own medical
devices, MIAT also helps others turn their ideas into products,
with consultancy and a complete idea-to-manufacture service,
in effect acting as an incubator.
Although the company was originally founded in 1987 to
market radio frequency (RF) lesion generators for back pain
relief, it has taken a promising new turn.
Interviewed by eeNews Europe, MIAT’s CEO Nigel Clarke
gave us an overview of the company’s novel mode of operation.
Schematic of the different actuators controlled for precise
touch stimuli.
“About six years ago, we decided to invest up to 20% of
our turnover in R&D for diversification and to help other inven-
tors bring innovative products to market. Actually last year, we
invested 25% of our turnover in R&D and have a range of prod-
ucts we are developing, including a screening test for liver can-
cer, an anti-snoring device based on electrical pulses, a hybrid
advanced awareness device to track people’s health metrics,
and an inflatable baby incubator for disaster and emergency
16 News December 2017
EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW
Exploded view of a finger-tip RealSim module.
situations” told us Clarke.
“In 2011, we took this change of direction with the aim to
bring one new product to market per year. Up to 2016, about
98% of our turnover came from historical products. In 2016, we
brought our first new products to market which now represent
20% of our turnover. This year we are taking two new products
into manufacture and next year, three more products. We’ll
get about 60% or our revenues from manufacture” the CEO
explained.
“When being approached by inventors or startups, we try
not to take equity, but we look into each case. Sometimes we
secure an exclusive license agreement to sell the product or we
manufacture the device for a number of years or we get royal-
ties. In some cases, we can form a joint venture”.
“The idea
for RealSim
came from two
researchers from
the University
of Southamp-
ton working to
improve stroke
survivors’
rehabilitation, to
stimulate their
Early proof-of-concept prototype of the
sense of touch.
ReaSim haptic glove.
But in order
to be able to bring RealSim to this niche market, we need the
traction of larger markets such as virtual reality and augmented
reality” continued Clarke.
“We’ve developed two proof-of-concept prototypes over the
last year, thoroughly tested by stroke alive and non-impaired
patients with a combination of stimulation trials”.
The prototypes pack a number of actuators at each fingertip
to provide pressure, vibration, hot and cold stimuli. It uses a
small pump and a diaphragm behind a small air reservoir for the
pressure (soft or hard touch), a Peltier module for temperature
control, and a linear resonant actuator (LRA) to impart vibration
patterns. A specially designed controller allows the actuators to
deliver variable frequencies, patterns and intensities of all these
stimuli.
The number of possible stimuli patterns is huge, which
www.eenewseurope.com
 EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

NOW ALSO
LEADING THE
according to Clarke enables RealSim to mimic the sense of touch for virtually any
object, surface, substance or environment.
“I have not seen any glove with temperature or pressure together with vibration.

LOW RANGE!
The original prototypes were built with off-the-shelf components and were reasonably
bulky, but the control box is getting smaller and the next big stage of product devel-
opment will be integration with AR/VR scenarios and with hand tracking”, told us the
CEO.
MIAT is currently seeking some investors to further the development of RealSim,
looking for a total investment of £1,335,000 over the next 18 months. It is hoping
to bring its first RealSim software development kit (SDK) early 2018 to allow AR/VR
content developers to modify existing simulations or create new ones. In its tentative
roadmap, MIAT sees a first version of RealSim hardware reaching market early 2019.
To celebrate its 30th anniversary and as a way to identify interesting product ideas,
the company has just launched the Morgan Innovation & Technology Prize, offering
£30,000 of R&D services to the winner and a runners-up prize of £10,000 of R&D
services.

Butterfly wing design doubles solar cell absorption

By Nick Flaherty

R
esearchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) in Germany have
doubled the absorption of solar cells using nanostructures inspired by a but-
terfly wing.
The wings of the butterfly Pachliopta aristolochiae have nanoholes that absorb light
over a wide spectrum far better than smooth surfaces, and the team at KIT has been
able to transfer these nanostructures to
solar cells, enhancing the light absorption
rate by up to 200 percent. LOW OHMIC PRECISION
“The butterfly we studied is very dark AND POWER RESISTORS
black. This signifies that it perfectly ab-
sorbs sunlight for optimum heat manage-
ment,” said Dr Hendrik Hölscher of KIT’s
Institute of Microstructure Technology LOWER REQUIREMENTS,
(IMT). “Even more fascinating than its SAME QUALITY,
appearance are the mechanisms that
help reaching the high absorption. The SAME ADVANTAGE.
optimization potential when transferring
these structures to photovoltaics (PV) systems was found to be much higher than Our new CMx series is specially designed
expected,” for lower performance requirements,
The researchers measured the diameter and arrangement of the nanoholes on meaning that we now lead the competitive
the wing of the butterfly via scanning electron microscopy and analysed the rates of environment in both high and low perfor-
light absorption for various hole patterns in a computer simulation. They found that mance ranges for the first time.
disordered holes of varying diameters, such as those found in the black butterfly,
produced most stable absorption rates over the complete spectrum at variable angles
of incidence.
It features, for example, an outstanding
The team then built a layer of disorderly positioned holes in a thin-film PV absorber, power value of 2 watts at a contact point
with diameters varying from 133 to 343 nm. This showed the absorption rate of temperature of 100°C.
perpendicular incident light increases by 97% and rises continuously until it reaches
207% at an angle of incidence of 50 de-
grees. “This is particularly interesting un-
der European conditions. Frequently, we
have diffuse light that hardly falls on solar
cells at a vertical angle,” said Hölscher.
However, this does not automatically
imply that efficiency of the complete PV
system is enhanced by the same factor, says Guillaume Gomard of IMT. “Other com- Innovation by Tradition
ponents also play a role, so the 200 percent are to be considered a theoretical limit for
efficiency enhancement,” he said. Isabellenhütte Heusler GmbH & Co. KG
The scientists demonstrated that light yield can be enhanced considerably by Eibacher Weg 3 – 5 · 35683 Dillenburg, Germany
removing material. In the project, they worked with hydrogenated amorphous silicon, Phone +49 (0) 2771 934-0 · Fax +49 (0) 2771 23030
but any type of thin-film PV technology can be improved with such nanostructures, sales.components@isabellenhuette.de · www.isabellenhuette.de

also on the industrial scale.

www.eenewseurope.com December 2017 News 17

 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Hybrid organic OLED barrier is foldable down to a 0.5mm radius
By Julien Happich
R
esearchers from Holst Centre have demonstrated a new
protective barrier for organic electronics that is foldable and quality and ability to prevent water penetration.
allows high-temperature processing of display backplanes
on top. The new barrier layer could help with
the design of large-area foldable OLED-based
displays for portable electronics.
The flexible moisture-proof protective bar-
rier consists of an organic layer sandwiched
between two layers of silicon nitride (SiN).
The stack design’s mechanical properties
were optimized for flexibility, with demonstra-
tors achieving a bending radius of 0.5mm.
The new protective barrier ensures that the
neutral stress line during bending stays close An OLED demonstrator with the new
to the active layers of the display to prevent
barrier.
mechanical and electrical degradation. The
organic material also helps prevent moisture penetration through
pinholes by ensuring very slow lateral spreading of water between
the SiN layers. What’s more, the particular organic material used
is stable up to 400°C and can be applied by slot-die coating. This
A4 inkjet-printed perovskite solar cell demonstration in the US
By Nick Flaherty
P
olish optoelectronic company Saule Technologies has
demonstrated an inkjet-printed A4 solar cell based on
perovskite materials. The ultralight and ultrathin module
will be capable of charging small electronic devices and marks
a significant advance for both the size of a
cell and perovskite technology. The com-
pany is planning production of cells with an
energy density of 100W/m2 next year.
“Some industries of our interest require
the modules to be large enough to make the
application commercially viable. Scaling the
size up is crucial especially when thinking
about construction and space industry. The
progress we reported so far is sufficient to
let us sign the first cooperation agreements
Talkin’ Things partners with PragmatIC to embed flexible NFC chips into packaging
By Julien Happich
U
nder the auspices of a strategic partnership with Prag-
matIC, Talkin’ Things plans to embed
PragmatIC’s flexible integrated
circuits into its smart packaging solution
to bring consumer engagement and brand
protection to trillions of products.
Being ultra-thin and flexible, PragmatIC’s
flexible integrated circuits such as its RFID/
NFC FlexICs are expected to blend imper-
ceptibly even in flexible packaging, while
being significantly lower cost than compa-
rable silicon-based options.
According to the two partners, these
qualities will help drive the mass market
18 News December 2017
FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS
allows the SiN layers to be deposited at 350°C, improving their
It also means the barrier can withstand the high temperatures
used in display production processes, making
it suitable for the bottom protective layers.
“Foldable displays are a hot topic right
now, with many people claiming to demon-
strate them. But the term is applied quite
loosely, and very few – if any – of these
demonstrators achieve the bending radii of
2mm or less needed to be truly foldable.
Our optimized multilayer barrier now makes
foldable OLED displays possible” said Hylke
Akkerman, Program Manager at Holst Centre.
OLED demonstrators using the new barrier
have achieved 1000 hours with no blackspots
in accelerated lifetime testing, even after ten thousand cycles of
folding with a bending radius of 0.5mm. This represents an opera-
tional lifetime of several years. Holst Centre is currently transferring
this latest barrier to a production at a partner’s facility.
with future clients,” said Piotr Krych, CEO & co-founder at Saule
Technologies in Poland.
Saule was one of the first companies to focus on perovskite
materials with inkjet printing. The perovskite cells production
process is carried out at temperatures
ranging from room temperature for print-
ing at a maximum temperature of 120ºC.
It is currently working with the Polish
National Centre for Research and Devel-
opment on a lab-scale production line.
A prototype industry-scale production
line is set to launch in the third quarter
of 2018. The company was one of the
LaunchPad winners at the IDtechEx
show in California.
adoption of smart packaging in one of the fastest growing pack-
aging formats (flexible packaging) used in the
home, cosmetic and food/beverage consumer
packaged goods (CPGs) industries, as well as
opening up new mass market segments previ-
ously inaccessible.
“We are looking forward to working closely
with PragmatIC,” commented Marcin Pilarz,
CEO of Talkin’ Things. “PragmatIC is bringing
flexible electronics to market at a price level pre-
viously unavailable for smart packaging technol-
ogies. Thanks to this Talkin’ Things will be able
to drive interactivity into a broader range of high
volume consumer goods than ever before.”
www.eenewseurope.com

Researchers thin down lithium-ion
batteries for dental braces
By Julien Happich
I
n a paper titled “Flexible and biocompatible high-perfor-
mance solid-state micro-battery for implantable orthodontic
system” published in the npj Flexible Electronics journal,
researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and
Technology (KAUST) describe how they have thinned down a
silicon-backed lithium-ion battery to just 30µm.
For their 2.25×1.7mm chip-scale flexible lithium-ion battery,
they report an energy density of 200mWh/cm3 for a microcell
weighing only 236µg. Because the cells are so thin, they with-
stand a bending radius of 1mm and could conform to the inside
curvature of the dental arch when embedded into a dental
brace.
The general idea here is to boost the efficacy of dental
braces by combining orthodontics with phototherapy, speeding
up the process of bone regeneration for tooth correction, cut-
ting therapy time and overall costs.
The researchers note that new advances in panoramic X-ray
imaging, intra-oral imaging scanners and biocompatible dental
materials now allow to digitize the manufacture of personalized
dental braces. This means a better and slimmer fit which could
embed near infrared LED arrays for non-invasive oral photo-
therapy. To date, only bulky external equipment are available,
with a programmable controller and an external power supply or
battery. Often limiting battery integration is their form factor, due
to a rigid encapsulation ensuring proper insulation from corro-
sive toxic materials.
With this perspective, the researchers started with an active
battery stack built on bulk monocrystalline silicon as the host
layer with silicon oxide (SiO2) as the insulation layer.
Bio-compatible and conformable flexible lithium-ion batteries
powering NIR-LEDs, directly affixed to a patient’s teeth.
www.eenewseurope.com
FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS
SEM images of a bulk thin-film Si-supported battery (left
panel; 130μm thick) compared to the thinned flexible battery
(middle panel; 30μm thick).
Close up of the flexible battery module bonded to aluminium
interconnects on a PET substrate, integrated with chip-scale
LEDs. The assemblies are embedded in a semi-transparent
3D printed dental brace.
Relying on a highly selective Xenon difluoride (XeF2) dry etch-
ing process, they removed completely the Si substrate from the
battery’s back until only SiO2 and aluminium (Al) remained as
the bottom layers. Thus they obtained a 30µm thin standalone
and physically flexible active stack piling up a SiO2 insulation
layer, a thick aluminium cathode current collector, a lithium
cobalt oxide (LCO) cathode as the main source of lithium ions,
a glass-like solid state lithium phosphorous oxynitride, titanium
(Ti) as the anode current collector, all the stack being topped
up with hermitically sealed protective layers. This “lithium-free”
solid-state construction was successfully tested for bio-com-
patibility and thermal endurance up to 90°C, before several cells
were integrated into an optoelectronic system embedded in a
three-dimensional printed smart dental brace.
To demonstrate the wearable phototherapy, the researchers
assembled their chip-scale batteries in a semi-transparent 3D
printed dental brace, with on each individual tooth a battery
connected in series with two die level NIR-LEDs operating from
1.8V (each battery delivering a voltage between 3 and 4.2V,
with a discharging capacity up to 148μAh/cm2 depending on the
current ratings). With such a custom fit, localized and person-
alized exposure could be designed for specific teeth or tooth
region, stimulating biological cells for growth and accelerated
bone remodelling.
In their paper, the researchers note that such flexible bio-
compatible lithium-ion batteries could also be transferred
on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and interconnected with
aluminium-engraved interconnections to create a very com-
pliant battery module. Next they want to integrate compliant
soft-substrate-based LEDs and miniaturized ICs with wireless
communication chips to enable the remote control of therapeu-
tic and teeth cleaning wearable gadgets.
December 2017 News 19
 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Continental, Osram announce automotive lighting JV
By Christoph Hammerschmidt
T
here had already been rumours in the past about a
planned joint venture between the automotive supplier
Continental and lighting technology provider Osram. The
companies have now made their intention public: In a 50:50
joint venture, they will combine lighting technologies with elec-
tronics and software and develop, produce and market intel-
ligent lighting solutions for the automotive industry.
Osram’s automotive solid-state lighting
(SSL) module business is to be transferred
to the joint venture, which will be called
Osram Continental GmbH. Continental will
contribute the lighting control business
from its Body & Security division. The new
company would combine semiconductor-
based light modules, advanced electronics,
optical and software expertise with access
to sensors and innovative light sources.
Osram Continental is to offer a portfolio of
lighting solutions, particularly for use in front and rear headlam-
ps. The aim is to bring coordinated and innovative offers and
solutions to market faster through joint development. The joint
venture will operate as an independent company on the market.
The lighting market in the automotive industry is undergoing
rapid technological change. Similar to general lighting, the mar-
ket is moving towards semiconductor-based lighting solutions.
Indoor/vertical farms set to boom, LEDs leading the transition, says Yole
By Julien Happich
T
he 2016 horticultural lighting market (i.e.
system level) represented a business
of about US$3.1 billion, representing
approximately US$3.8 billion in 2017. But
according to a recent report from market
research firm Yole Développement, this mar-
ket is set to grow rapidly at a 17.8% CAGR
between 2016 and 2022, possibly reaching Horticultural lighting applications.
more than US$17 billion by 2027. Source, Horticultural LED Lighting:
While Yole sees the current business
Market, Industry and Technology Trends,
mostly driven by greenhouse applications
Yole Développement.
and incumbent technologies (92% and 79%
in revenue, respectively) during 2017, the transition to LED
technology and the emergence of new applications will expand
the market’s size.
In its report “Horticultural LED Lighting: Market, Industry
and Technology Trends” Yoles sees this market reaching nearly
US$8.6 billion in 2022. “This is only a starting point. Indoor/
vertical farms are poised to boom from 2022 - 2027, propelling
the total market to more than US$17 billion in 2027”, comments
Pierrick Boulay, Technology & Market Analyst at Yole.
At the LED device level, market opportunity represents al-
most US$100 million in 2017 and should grow to about US$400
million in 2022, eventually reaching US$ 700 million in ten years’
time. The LED lighting industry sees horticultural lighting as a
new opportunity for which to develop high added-value prod-
ucts with greater margin levels. In Q4/2017, Yole identified less
than 50 players as offering dedicated LED-based systems.
20 News December 2017
LED LIGHTING
Semiconductor-based technologies, software and electronics
are becoming increasingly important due to increasingly intel-
ligent lighting functions in cars and new light-based design and
application options. The market for semiconductor-based front
lighting solutions is growing at double-digit rates every year. As
early as 2025, more than one in two new vehicles worldwide
could be equipped with semiconductor-based lighting solutions,
according to market studies.
“Intelligent lighting solutions offer vehicle
manufacturers greater design flexibility and
support them in optimizing development
costs,” said Andreas Wolf, head of Con-
tinental’s Body & Security division. “The
global presence of JV Osram Continental
will allow us to drive these developments
forward with our customers directly on site.”
The two parent companies will each have
a 50 percent stake in the joint venture. With
around 1,500 employees and 17 locations worldwide, the com-
pany aims to achieve annual sales in the mid three-digit million-
euro range. Subject to the agreement on the binding contracts,
the prior approval of each party’s supervisory board and
antitrust approvals, the joint venture is planned to be launched
in 2018. The company will be headquartered in the Munich area,
the two parent companies announced.
The industry is highly concentrated in
North America with a 50% market share
(number of companies involved), the result
of medicinal cannabis’s legalization.
“Looking ahead, industry evolution
will strongly depend on market dynam-
ics,” explains Joel Thomé, PISEO’s CEO.
“Indeed, industrial players’ marketing and
communications are currently focused on
two main applications including medici-
nal plants (mostly cannabis) production,
which is today the main market driver and
vegetable production, which is developing with a “low-end /
high-volume products” focus.”
Part of the established lighting system industry may never
proceed with the medicinal plants application, in order to pre-
serve brand reputation. Such a situation is likely to benefit new
entrants that will generate revenue swiftly and rapidly increase
their horticultural lighting market expertise.
At the device level, most LED manufacturers embrace a
“technology push strategy”, taking advantage of their traditional
LED portfolio (i.e. UV, visible, and NIR LEDs) to quickly offer
some horticultural lighting solutions and related marketing tools,
such as dedicated datasheets.
In the future, with a better understanding of LED light’s effect
on plant growth, these players might start offering more dedi-
cated solutions (i.e. fine-tuned wavelength package, multiple
wavelength package, etc.).
www.eenewseurope.com
 SOLAR FUEL CELL

Three electrode fuel cell creates hydrogen from solar power

By Nick Flaherty

R
esearchers in the US and Iran have designed a device that professor of chemistry and biochemistry, and of materials sci-
can use solar energy to inexpensively and efficiently cre- ence and engineering at UCLA (standing left on the photo). “And
ate, store and use energy as hydrogen. this could dramatically lower the cost of hydrogen cars.”
Traditional hydrogen fuel cells and supercapacitors have two The device is a step forward because it produces hydro-
electrodes: one positive and one negative. The device developed gen fuel in an environmentally friendly way. Currently, about 95
at UCLA in California has a third electrode percent of hydrogen production worldwide
that acts as both a supercapacitor, which comes from converting fossil fuels such as
stores energy, and as a device for splitting natural gas into hydrogen, a process that
water into hydrogen and oxygen, a process releases large quantities of carbon dioxide
called water electrolysis. All three electrodes into the air, said Maher El-Kady, a UCLA
connect to a single solar cell that serves as postdoctoral researcher and a co-author of
the device’s power source, and the electri- the research (standing on the right).
cal energy harvested by the solar cell can The researchers designed the nanoscale
be stored in one of two ways: electrochemi- electrodes to ensure the greatest surface
cally in the supercapacitor or chemically as area would be exposed to water, which
hydrogen. increases the amount of hydrogen the device
The device could make hydrogen cars can produce and also stores more charge in
affordable for many more consumers because it produces the supercapacitor. Although the device the researchers made
hydrogen using nickel, iron and cobalt, elements that are much would fit in the palm of a hand, it would be possible to make
more abundant and less expensive than the platinum and other larger versions because the components are inexpensive. Com-
precious metals that are currently used to produce hydrogen fuel. bining a supercapacitor and the water-splitting technology into a
“Hydrogen is a great fuel for vehicles: it is the cleanest fuel single unit may eventually lead to new applications that even the
known, it’s cheap and it puts no pollutants into the air, just water,” researchers haven’t considered yet, said Kaner.
said Richard Kaner, the study’s senior author and distinguished

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21
 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Fisker solid state battery faces charging infrastructure challenges
By Nick Flaherty
E
lectric sportscar startup Fisker has
filed a patent for a 3D solid state bat-
tery structure that can charge in one
minute. The design could hold 2.5 times
the energy of today’s lithium ion cells and
charges each layer simultaneously.
However the patent has not been pub-
lished, leading critics to highlight some of
the potential problems. Charging a solid state battery pack
with a 500 mile range in just one minute would take several
megawatts of energy in a very short time, placing a huge and
unmeetable requirement on the charging sub-systems and
infrastructure. Transferring such large amounts of energy would
also have safety implications. The higher energy density would
mean that a 500 mile range would be possible with a battery
half the size of those in today’s electric vehicles, but that still
Witricity and TI join forces on automotive wireless charging reference design
By Nick Flaherty
W
iTricity is working with Texas
Instruments to use automotive-
grade devices in its DRIVE 11
wireless charging systems and reference
designs.
The DRIVE 11 design, for use in elec-
tric vehicles and charging stations, uses
WiTricity’s TMN (Tunable Matching Network)
controller with the C2000 real-time control
microcontroller (MCU) from TI. This auto-
matically optimises energy transfer between
the source and vehicle in a wide range of real-world operating
conditions including parking misalignment, differing vehicle
ground clearance and varying battery voltage conditions.
The TMN magnetic resonance controller is delivered as a
compact electronics module with proprietary hardware and
software algorithms rated at 11 kW, 7.7 kW and 3.7 kW that is
Akasol launches Europe’s largest vehicle battery production
By Christoph Hammerschmidt
E
-Mobility expert Akasol GmbH has launched produc-
tion of high-performance lithium-ion battery systems for
commercial vehicles in a new semi-
automated plant in Langen (Germany). With a
capacity of 600 MWh, the facility is now the
largest production line for commercial vehicle
battery systems in Europe, claims Akasol. The
plant can produce high-performance bat-
tery systems for up to 3000 hybrid or electric
vehicles or other large commercial vehicles
each year.
The Langen plant will manufacture the
company’s AKAsystem OEM for commercial
vehicles, such as buses and trucks. As recently announced,
Akasol will supply this lithium-ion system to two European bus
22 News December 2017
BATTERY CAPACITY
has a significant energy requirement. This is why
the publication of the patent is essential.
The company says production of the solid
state technology could start in 2023.
The vice president of battery systems at
Fisker, Dr Fabio Albano, previously worked for
solid state battery startup Sakti3, and holds a
patent on a 3D layered cell structure. Sakti3 was
sold to Dyson, but the patents have not been adopted as part
of Dyson’s move to build an electric car. Court cases around the
Dyson electric car and solid state battery development are set
to start shortly, which may have influenced the timing of the re-
lease of the Fisker information. Fisker is currently taking orders
for its Emotion electric sports car which uses lithium-ion batter-
ies from LG Chem. These provide a range of 400 miles and can
be part charged in nine minutes to give a 125 mile range.
incorporated into both the wireless charg-
ing source on the ground and the wireless
power capture device on the vehicle. Witric-
ity worked with Nissan on a 7.7 kW system
with TMN technology for testing as both a
stand-alone system and interoperating with
systems provided by other suppliers. This
has demonstrated end-to-end efficiency of
91- to 94-percent.
“New automotive technologies, such as
wireless charging, are entering the market at
a rapid pace,” said Alex Gruzen, CEO of WiTricity. “TI has been
enabling innovation for decades and working with them to de-
liver robust WiTricity automotive-grade silicon will give carmak-
ers and Tier 1 suppliers confidence to deploy complete wireless
charging solutions.”
Witricity has announced licensing agreements with Toyota,
manufacturers in contracts to build approximately 10,000 buses
within the next few years. Akasol won the two contracts after
an extensive process ensuring the highest
automotive industry safety standards. The
company claims to be currently Europe’s only
mass manufacturer to offer flexible solutions
for battery sizes and chemistry while fulfilling
all relevant reliability and safety requirements.
In addition, Akasol currently also supplies
technology and consulting to companies in-
cluding VDL Bus & Coach, Alexander Dennis,
Alstom, Bombardier and Bucher Municipal.
The facility represents an investment of some
€10 million. Over the coming months, it will create 150 new
jobs, the company said.
www.eenewseurope.com
 PHOTONICS

QD-based LEDs integrated on

CMOS: operate up to 100ºC Fast
By Julien Happich 8 hour service for PCBs

A
s a proof-of-concept, researchers from Johannes Kepler University Linz, Aus- 4 day service for assembly
tria, have designed a light-emitting diode based on electrically-pumped defect-
enhanced Ge quantum dots (Ge-DEQDs) directly grown within the intrinsic
region of a silicon p-i-n diode.
In previous work, the researchers had demonstrated the high temperature stability
of such Ge-DEQDs when employed as a CMOS-compatible gain material in opti-
Reliable
cally pumped lasers. Their recent paper “Room-Temperature Group-IV LED Based on
Defect-Enhanced Ge Quantum Dots” published in the ACS Photonics Journal reveals
Express services:
that embedded layers of Ge-DEQDs could also stably emit light at room-temperature On time or FREE
when electrically pumped (at high current densities and at device temperatures of at
least 100°C, with limited quenching).
Operating at near-infrared (NIR) tele-
com wavelengths of 1.3 to 1.5μm, their
devices consisted of vertically stacked
layers of dots (ranging from 3 to 7) into
Unique
the 200nm thick intrinsic region of a Online assembly
p-i-n Si diode. From their experiment,
the researchers noted that the emission from 1 component
intensity of their devices scaled with the
number of quantum dot layers embedded,
demonstrating that larger gain material
volumes could potentially be grown to
reach lasing thresholds, eventually leading
Schematic illustration of the Ge-DEQD to CMOS-compatible electrically pumped
LED showing the frame-shaped top room-temperature lasers.
contact metallization and the integration The Ge-DEQDs were grown through
chemical vapor deposition, with subse-
of multiple dot layers in the intrinsic
quent ion bombardment to create the
device region.
lattice defects within the Ge dots. These
processes can be run in standard CMOS production lines. The 100×100μm2 DEQDs-
based LEDs operated well at current densities up to 20kA/cm2 and heat-sink temper-
atures up to 100°C under pulsed driving conditions at a repetition frequency of 10kHz
and a current pulse length of 5μs (duty-cycles up to 5%).
But testing was largely limited by the experimental setup (current source, Peltier
temperature controller and the bonding wires) note the researchers, arguing that their
devices could certainly operate at far
higher current densities and duty cycles.
Even for a large driving current density
of 10kA/cm2, significant temperature
quenching of the Ge-DEQDs LED emis-
sion only took place above 240K, much
later than what literature reports for direct-
bandgap GeSn or SiGeSn materials.
The paper also highlights that the output
intensity of the DEQD LEDs only drops
slowly with temperature and still remains
at 28% of the global maximum value for a
heat-sink temperature of 100°C (373K).
The researchers attribute the tempera-
ture stability of Ge-DEQD emission to the strong confinement of holes in the quantum
dot potential, with associated activation energies for thermal quenching above 300 sales@pcb-pool.com
meV. Though even under quenching, the spectral characteristics remained the same Phone: +353 (0)61 701170
up to the maximum tested temperature of 100°C.
As future research, the authors point to stacking more layers of quantum dots (to
create a larger gain material volume) and optimizing the diode structure employed for
pumping the Ge quantum dots, further investigating the doping parameters and intrin- www.pcb-pool.com
sic region thickness to reach the best optical recombination current in the DEQDs.

www.eenewseurope.com December 2017 News 23

 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Volvo to build tens of thousands of self-driving taxis for Uber
By Christoph Hammerschmidt
S
wedish car manufacturer Volvo Cars will sell
“tens of thousands” of autonomous vehicles
to ride-sharing company Uber. The frame-
work agreement between Volvo and Uber is one of
the largest, if not the largest assignments for such
vehicles so far. Deliveries will take place between
2019 and 2021. The cars ordered are based on
Volvo’s modular Scalable Product Architecture
(SPA). This is the architecture on which Volvo’s
current flagship SUV XC90 as well as the midsize XC60 are
based on. Modifications towards self-driving capabilities are
developed in close cooperation with Uber, Volvo announced in a
Israel evolves into an automotive electronics hotbed
By Christoph Hammerschmidt
I
srael - a player in automotive electronics? At last for as long as
companies such as Mobileye or Autotalks are active, the an-
swer must be clearly yes. Over the past quarters, this trend has
intensified. Now luxury car maker Daimler has opened a “Digital
Hub” in Tel Aviv.
In the new Mercedes-Benz Digital Hub (MBRD) the communi-
cation interfaces between driver and vehicle are at the top of the
agenda. At the opening of the new R&D facility, Dieter Zetsche,
Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head
of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said: “Israel is regarded worldwide as a
hot spot for innovations, digital technologies, new mobility services
and car IT. At the Tel Aviv branch, initially around 25 experts will
be developing new mobility services which will then be tested as
part of pilot projects. The group will start its work in 2018. In ad-
dition, Daimler intends to establish a network with local partners,
universities and high-tech companies to develop, in cooperation
with the Israeli startup community, a broad range of technologies
Volkswagen, Google collaborate on quantum computing applications
By Christoph Hammerschmidt
V
olkswagen Group and Google have announced extensive
research cooperation in the field of quantum computing
at the “Web Summit 2017” (Lisbon) technology confer-
ence. In the future, both companies will jointly test the use
of quantum computers. They want to expand their specialist
knowledge and carry out application-oriented research.
As part of the cooperation, a team of specialists from Volk-
swagen and Google is working on a Google quantum com-
puter. These computers can solve certain highly complex tasks
much faster than conventional supercomputers or even make a
solution possible in the first place.
Volkswagen’s work on the quantum computer will focus on
three main areas The specialists want to further develop traffic
optimization, simulate material structures for high-performance
electric vehicle batteries and new materials, and work on artificial
intelligence with new machine learning methods. In this context,
Volkswagen Chief Information Office Martin Hofmann described
quantum computer technology as an “acceleration track for future
topics”.
24 News December 2017
AUTONOMOUS DRIVING
press release. The base vehicles already
incorporate the core autonomous driving
technologies required for Uber to add its
own self-driving technology. At the same
time, Volvo plans to continue develop-
ing its own autonomous car strategy
which is planned for release of first fully
autonomous cars in 2021.
Though the carmaker did not provide
financial details of the contract, experts estimate the value to
slightly above $ 1 billion, about 4.5 % of Volvo’s total annual
sales.
for the networked vehicle, such as biometric authentication and
navigation. Together with Daimler’s IT division, MBRD Tel Aviv has
already entered a close partnership with the accelerator program
“The Bridge” in the first few months, as the company announced.
Daimler wants to identify new trends and developments as early
as possible and implement them for the automotive sector. For
future cooperations and pilot projects, the carmaker examined 150
start-ups and has chosen eleven of them. Together with startup-
company Anagog, Daimler has already launched an app called
EQ Ready which was presented at the IAA in Frankfurt earlier this
year. In September, Daimler’s truck division invested $60 million in
Israeli start-up StoreDot, which specializes in ultra-fast electric car
charging solutions.
With the establishment of its Digital Hub, Daimler is in good
company: earlier this month, independently of each other, Volk-
swagen and Hyundai announced investments for R&D branches in
Israel to expand mobility and smart car technologies.
The collaboration focuses on
application-oriented research.
Specialists from the Volkswagen
Information Technology Centers
(IT-Labs) in San Francisco and
Munich are developing algo-
rithms, simulations and optimi-
zations together with Google
experts. They are working on a
so-called universal quantum computer from Google. Its architec-
ture is suitable for many experimental calculations.
More specifically, the VW specialists want to develop tech-
niques and algorithms to reduce driving time within the scope
of the thematic field of traffic optimization and integrate further
variables. These include urban traffic guidance systems, available
electric charging stations or free parking spaces. VW also wants
to use the potential of the Google quantum computer to work with
new methods of machine learning on artificial intelligence (AI). The
application focus is on autonomous driving.
www.eenewseurope.com

300mm wafer-to-wafer hybrid bonding reaches 1µm-pitch
By Julien Happich
I
n cooperation with wafer bonding and lithography equipment
supplier EV Group (EVG), Leti announced what it believes to
be the world’s first successful 300mm wafer-to-wafer direct
hybrid bonding with pitch dimension connections as small as
1µm (micron).
Wafer-to-wafer bonding is an essential process step to en-
able 3D stacked integrated circuits and the copper/oxide hybrid
bonding process is a key enabler for such applications. It was
demonstrat-
ed in Leti’s
cleanrooms
using EVG’s
fully au-
tomated
GEMINI FB
XT fusion
wafer bond-
ing system,
Focused Ion Beam Scanning Electron at a pitch
Microscope (FIB-SEM) cross-section of 1µm of 1µm with
pitch copper pads on a pair of 300mm wafers copper pads
bonded with the GEMINI FB XT automated as small as
500nm.
production fusion bonding system from EV
This result
Group. Photo courtesy of Leti.
was obtained
in the framework of the program IRT Nanoelec headed by Leti.
EVG joined the institute’s 3D Integration Consortium in February
2016.
In order to shrink IC dies, tight alignment and overlay ac-
curacy between the wafers is required, not only to minimize the
interconnect area at the bond interface but also to ensure good
electrical contact between the interconnected device on the
bonded wafers.
In the Leti demonstration, the top and bottom 300mm
wafers were directly bonded in the GEMINI FB XT automated
production fusion bonding system, which incorporates EVG’s
proprietary SmartView NT face-to-face aligner and an alignment
verification module to enable in-situ post-bond IR alignment
measurement. The system achieved overlay alignment accuracy
to within 195nm (3-sigma) overall, with mean alignment results
well centered below 15nm. Post-bake acoustic microscopy
Broadcom preps for 7nm tape-outs in 2017
By Peter Clarke
B
roadcom Ltd. (San Jose, Calif.) has announced that it
has proven circuits in 7nm silicon
and is preparing for customer tape-
outs of ASICs in 7nm in 4Q17.
The IP cores include high 112Gbit/s
PAM-4 SerDes, high-bandwidth memory
PHY, Die2Die interconnect PHY, mixed-sig-
nal IP, and foundation IP such as standard
cells, SRAM, TCAM memory, and I/O cells.
Theses cores, proven in silicon with TSMC,
are due to be used in ASICs for deep learn-
ing and networking applications.
The interface IP includes JEDEC-compliant HBM Gen2 and
www.eenewseurope.com
SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSES
scans of the full 300mm bonded wafer stack as well as specific
dies confirmed a defect-free bonding interface for pitches rang-
ing from 1µm to 4µm with optimum copper density.
“To our knowledge, this is the first reported demonstration of
sub-1.5µm pitch copper hybrid bonding feasibility,” said Frank
Fournel, head of bonding process engineering at Leti. “This lat-
est demonstration represents a real breakthrough and important
step forward in enabling the achievement and eventual com-
mercialization of high-density 3D chip stacking.”
This demonstration is summarized in a paper co-authored
by Leti, titled “1
µm Pitch Direct
Hybrid Bonding with
<300nm Wafer-
to-wafer Overlay
Accuracy,” which
was presented at
the 2017 IEEE S3S
Conference.
“3D integration
holds the prom-
ise for increased
device density and
bandwidth as well The GEMINI FB XT automated
as lower power production fusion bonding system from
consumption for a
EV Group. Photo courtesy of EVG.
variety of applica-
tions, from next-generation CMOS image sensors and MEMS
to high-performance computing,” stated Markus Wimplinger,
corporate technology development and IP director at EV Group.
“As a leader in 3D integration research and development, Leti
has been at the forefront in moving this critical technology to-
ward industry adoption and commercialization. EVG shares that
vision, and we are pleased to have played a role in supporting
Leti’s latest achievement in 3D integration.”
The GEMINI FB XT can accommodate up to six pre- and
post-processing modules for surface preparation, conditioning
and metrology steps such as wafer cleaning, plasma activation
alignment verification, de-bonding (allowing pre-bonded wafers
to be separated automatically and re-processed if necessary)
and thermo-compression bonding.
HBM Gen3 PHY provide and a portfolio of ARM cores and
peripherals. The design kit for 7nm ASICs is
available now and several customer prod-
ucts are already in development. Lead 7nm
customer ASIC products are scheduled to
tape-out in calendar Q4 2017.
“TSMC 7nm process technology and
CoWoS technologies combined with Broad-
com’s IP cores and ASIC design methodolo-
gy continues to enable best-in-class custom
solutions for the end customers,” said B
J Woo, vice president of business development at TSMC, in a
statement issued by Broadcom.
December 2017 News 25
 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY ELECTRONIC PAPER

Video-capable colour ePaper in demand

for Chinese school tablets
By Julien Happich

A
fter Californian startup CLEARink Displays had closed If you have animations in school books, that helps, but they
a USD5 million in Se- want to watch videos, they want
ries C funding, backed children to have access to the
by a number of Asian display best content” explained Peru-
manufacturers, eeNews Europe vemba, noting that his company
caught up with the company’s is currently trial manufacturing
Vice President of Marketing, Sri pilot units at a LCD factory in
Peruvemba. China. “Following this, we will
CLEARink Displays claims it is transition to production that
the only company to be able to might start mid next year and
offer full colour ePaper capable of complete later in the year. This
running video, with refresh rates could also be on a line that is
over 30Hz. The technology which much bigger than the one on
Peruvemba like to describes as which we are building the trial
ePaper 2.0, relies on a single-par- CLEARink Displays’ principle of operation. samples now”.
ticle system. In the white state, When asked if by refreshing
the electrophoretic display’s fluid-born black nanoparticles are the display so often, video rates would defeat the low-power
positioned only nanometers away from the surface of a trans- benefits of bi-stable ePaper, Peruvemba claims that the voltage
parent film imprinted with micro-hemispherical cups. Those requirements of CLEARink’s ePaper are significantly less than
microcups then provide total that for E Ink’s ePaper, resulting
internal reflection. When applying in a video rate that draws less
a positive charge, the nega- power than animated ePaper (in
tively charged particles move up the 10 to 20 frames per second).
against the back of the film and Then again, if you compare this
absorb the light, creating a dark to backlit LCDs, the power sav-
state. Full colour is added with an ings are in the 80 to 90% range.
extra layer of colour filters. “Our consumption power is
According to Peruvemba, in- probably the same as that of the
cumbent ePaper manufacturer E LCD driver electronics, without
Ink fails to deliver video rates be- The CLEARink display (right) versus a reflective LCD watch the backlight” says Peruvemba.
cause it uses a slower two-parti- However, curiously the primary
(left) at different viewing angles.
cle system, with black and white need of these eSchoolbook
particles having to interchange their positions on top of the manufacturers is not low-power, but sunlight readability, he
substrate. The process is slower than the one-particle system says.
CLEARink Displays uses, which has a much shorter distance “There is a lot of debate in Asia about what causes the high
to travel to the top film, explains Peruvemba who remembers incidence of myopia there among young people (reportedly,
demonstrating E Ink’s animated 90% of Chinese teenagers and
ePaper almost ten years ago, young adults are short-sighted
as he was then the company’s compared to 10 to 20% sixty
Marketing Chief Officer (he left E years ago). This is not unique to
Ink in 2013). China and the current belief is
“Since we are a small startup, that kids spend too much time
we have to focus on the markets indoors. One possible preven-
where E Ink is not strong, and tion that is being experimented
video capability is our business in various programs is to get the
driver”, says Peruvemba, arguing kids outdoors with their lap-
that for e-Schoolbooks, anima- tops, so they get more exposed
tions just don’t cut it, full colour to sunlight, or maybe so their
video is what OEMs want. eyes can also accommodate to
“One of the investors in the A full colour video-capable ePaper display prototype from distant objects. But they need
company is currently manufactur- a display that can be read even
CLEARink.
ing LCD-based e-Schoolbooks under bright sunlight”.
for China, but they want low-power video. Right now, they Talking about display specifications, Peruvemba is cautious
are buying LCDs and ePaper displays from E Ink, but they’ve not to be too definitive, since the company only has lab proto-
pre-paid for three million of our display units to be shipped late types which it says are not production representative.
2018. “Our samples were optimized and the trial production of a

26 News December 2017 www.eenewseurope.com


few hundred units is happening right now in a LCD factory in
China. That will result in units that we will use for characteriza-
tion, testing etc. so we can create customer ready specifica-
tions (required for formal contracts). It is possible that we might
have enough extra units that we can start sampling to custom-
ers and building kits that we can sell”, explained Peruvemba.
So far, he says the lab samples exhibit a white state reflec-
tance of 83% (compared to 43% with other ePaper technolo-
gies), and a contrast ratio of 1:20 (compared to 1:12). The com-
pany produced black & white samples at a resolution of 212dpi,
which would yield a 106dpi resolution in colour, once RGBW
filters are layered on top to create the colour pixels. Even with
the colour filters overlaid, CLEARink says it still achieves a re-
flectance of roughly 40%, about twice that of colour ePaper.
“Our intent is to build displays at much higher resolution”
China raising $30 billion for Big Fund’s second phase
By Peter Clarke
T
he Chinese government is raising between RMB150 billion
and RMB200 billion (between $23 billion and $30 billion)
to pay for the second phase of its National IC Investment
Fund, according to Taiwan-based TrendForce Corp.
The National IC Investment Fund – or Big Fund – was intro-
duced in 2014 to support for the semiconductor sector and since
2015 China’s semiconductor industry has been thriving. Chinese
chip companies are expected to have an aggregate annual rev-
enue of RMB620 billion (about $94 billion) in 2018, according to
TrendForce.
However much of that early support was for manufacturing
companies and initiatives. By September 2017, the first phase
of the “Big Fund” had raised RMB138.72 billion (about $21 bil-
lion) and spent the money on investment in 55 projects, reports
TrendForce. The promised funding is RMB100.3 billion and the
actual investment is RMB65.3 billion, of which IC manufactur-
ing accounts for 65 percent. The Big Fund has been used to
support Tsinghua Unigroup’s acquisition of Spreadtrum and RDA
Microelectronics; the acquisition of STATS ChipPAC by Jiangsu
Everspin pulls back on 1Gbit MRAM
By Peter Clarke
K
evin Conley, who took over as CEO and president of Ever-
spin Technologies Inc. (Chandler, Ariz.) on September 1,
has said that the company’s 1Gbit MRAM is not yet ready
for production and needs more work.
As far back as April 2016 Everspin had
said it planned to transition its 256Mbit
spin-transfer torque (STT) MRAM from an
in-plane magnetic tunnel junction version
to a perpendicular version and then launch
a perpendicular MTJ STT-MRAM at 1Gbit
density. In his first conference call for finan-
cial analysts as CEO Conley said: “Our one
gigabit technology requires more work to
meet the demanding requirements of our customers. As a result
production milestones will be later than what was previously
communicated. Nevertheless, we are increasing our diligence
and execution focusing on reduced iteration cycles and more
predictable outcome on this one gigabit program.”
www.eenewseurope.com
ELECTRONIC PAPER
Peruvemba told eeNews Europe.
“Our resolution is determined by the TFT backplane, not
by the microstructured film we place on top. In fact, the size
of the reflective microcups can be varied. It is a few tens of
micrometres in diameter but we can bring it down to single digit
micrometres”.
But high resolution on eSchoolbooks is a “nice-to-have”,
not a “must-have”, and people do not want to pay a premium,
argues Peruvemba. “I highly doubt they would want to pay for
more than 300dpi” he says, emphasizing that a long list of com-
panies approached CLEARink to invest in the startup.
The startup has established a joint development agreement
with chemical company Merck who produces the ink. CLEARink
plans to manufacture the ePaper via contract manufacturing in
a fully depreciated LCD fab to address its target markets.
Changjiang Electronics Technology Co., Ltd (JCET) and the
launch of a joint venture between Tongfu Microelectronics Co.
Ltd(TFME) and AMD’s high-volume assembly, test and packaging
facilities. Going forward the Big Fund will focus on three sectors;
memory; compound semiconductors including silicon carbide
and gallium nitride, and IC design applied to IoT, 5G, artificial in-
telligence and smart vehicles. TrendForce forecast estimates that
the proportion in IC design will increase to 20 to 25 percent and
the investment projects will also be extended to include startups.
The spending by central and local government clearly drives
additional local investment, TrendForce said. By June 2017, local
semiconductor industry investment funds had reached a volume
of RMB514.5 billion (about $78 billion), of which the largest one
was RMB50 billion (about $7.5 billion).
In addition, driven by local governments’ active involvement in
semiconductor industry, some cities will become more signifi-
cant. TrendForce expects Hefei, Xiamen and Jinjiang to emerge
as major industrial regions of China’s next-generation semicon-
ductor industry.
He said that some 1Gbit milestones may be reached in the
4Q17 but that for now Everspin will be focusing on the 256Mbit
as the primary STT-MRAM vehicle. It also announced recently the
appointment of Norman Armour as vice pres-
ident of operations, responsible for managing
Everspin’s internal and partner fab opera-
tions. Angelo Ugge, who previously served
as vice president of operations and business
development will revert to vice president of
business development, the position that he
was initially hired to occupy.
Conley said that although Everspin’s
1Gbit MRAM was designed in with a Flash
Array manufacturer, that customer had now agreed that 256Mbit
MRAMs could still meet requirements. “While we never want
to disappoint our customers, we believe that we must ensure
successful execution to build confidence in our company and its
technology to bring them success,” Conley added.
December 2017 News 27
 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
MEMS-modulated waveguides enhance terahertz systems
By Peter Clarke
V
TT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed
a manufacturing technology for the integration of tera-
hertz systems that uses MEMS to change the shape of
waveguides.
The image shows left, an amplifier using the traditional
waveguide technology and on the right, a component based on
VTT’s micromechanical waveguides.
The system is based on microme-
chanical waveguides manufactured on
a silicon wafer and active millimetre
wave monolithic integrated circuits
(MMIC). The waveguides allow the low-
loss transfer of signals to the MMIC
circuits and also acts as the enclosure
solution for the MMIC circuit.
The net result is the cost-effective
development and manufacture of tera-
hertz instruments for telecommunica-
tions, imaging and space that operate
at higher frequencies and occupy less
space.
The use of systems operating at
frequencies exceeding one hundred gigahertz is limited by the
expensive manufacturing methods. Additionally, the current
waveguide-based systems are too large for wide-scale use.
Graphene-based terahertz detector is ultra-thin, flexible
By Julien Happich
U
sing flexible transparent polyethylene terephthalate (PET)
as a substrate, researchers from Chalmers University of
Technology have devised an antenna-coupled graphene
field-effect transistor (GFET) in the shape of a split bow-tie less
than 0.1mm wide, capable of THz detection from 330 to 500GHz
at room temperature.
A flexible terahertz detector composed of a 9x12 array of
GFETs. Photo Boid – Product Design Studio, Gothenburg/
Chalmers University of Technology
28 News December 2017
TERAHERTZ RESEARCH
“The new solution enables the cost-effective manufacturing of
systems exceeding one hundred gigahertz,” said Pekka Pursula
from VTT, who lead the team that worked on the technology.
The technology can be utilised in telecommunications ap-
plications, where radio links built in frequency bands of over
one hundred gigahertz lay down the groundwork for wireless
data transfer that is faster than today. This also benefits imaging
solutions operating at terahertz
frequencies such as security
cameras that reveal, for example,
bladed objects hidden under
clothing. The technology is also
suitable for the manufacturing of
increasingly smaller remote map-
ping devices used in satellites in
space.
“Our goal is to reduce the
production costs to one tenth of
what can be achieved with the
current standard manufacturing
methods, while making the com-
ponents significantly smaller,”
said Pursula.
VTT intends to transfer the research and manufacturing tech-
nology to the industrial sector.
Optical microscopy images of the detector.
The researchers expect such flexible detectors to be easily
replicated and used in larger arrays for a wide range of applica-
tions, from imaging (THz camera) for automotive applications to
substances identification (one application envisioned would be
skin-level cancer detection) or wireless communications in the
tens of gigabits per second.
A single detector, with a gate length and channel width of
5.5μm and 4μm, respectively, exhibited a voltage responsivity
above 2V/W, with an estimated noise equivalent power (NEP)
below 3nW/√Hz at 487GHz.
The research published in the scientific journal Applied
Physics Letters under the title “A flexible graphene terahertz
detector” has been funded by the EU Graphene Flagship, the
Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research (SSF), and the Knut
and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW).
www.eenewseurope.com

Automotive power electronics in steep
surge, study says
By Christoph Hammerschmidt
D
riven by rising sales of electric vehicles, the global
automotive power electronics market is heading for
a bright future, says a new report from Transpar-
ency Market Research. Europe ranks third place – but this
will change soon, the report predicts.
The report breaks down the market by the various types
of electric drivetrain concepts (battery electric, hybrid
electric and plug-in hybrids), vehicle types (passenger cars
and commercial vehicles) and applications (powertrain and
chassis, body electronics, safety and security systems, in-
fotainment & telematics). Overall, the market is expected to ex-
pand at a rapid pace of 19 percent through 2025, in which year
the market researchers see a volume of $22.7 billion globally.
In terms of revenue, North America dominated the automo-
tive power electronics market in 2016, with majority share. The
U.S. spends substantially in battery operated electric vehicles
and this fosters the adoption of automotive power electron-
ics in this region. Extensive R&D activities in electric vehicles
broadens the scope of automotive power electronics market.
Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness a relatively fast adoption of
technologically advanced electric vehicle with the convergence
of the automotive sector, the ICT sector and the transporta-
tion sector over the forecast period. In Asia Pacific, countries
such as China, Japan and Australia are anticipated to drive the
growth of the automotive power electronics market.
After Asia Pacific, Europe is forecast to emerge as the high-
est growth contributor among the regions in the near future.
Many European countries such as the U.K., Germany, France,
Italy and Norway make considerable efforts towards the de-
velopment of the automotive industry. The governments take a
positive approach towards the installation of safety features in
electric vehicle.
Low noise 3 & 5 Watt
DC/DC converters
in metal package.
Reliable. Available. Now.
www.eenewseurope.com
MARKETS
As the trans-
portation sector in
the North Amer-
ica and Europe
regions has
widely adopted
advanced driver
assistant systems
for transportation,
the market is ex-
pected to experience a steady growth over the forecast period.
The adoption of battery operated electric vehicles boosts
the use of automotive power electronics in a large number of
vehicles owing to its easy adaptability and performance with
higher precision.
In 2016, of the electric vehicle segment, the majority revenue
share in the global automotive power electronics market was
held by hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), as the HEV is playing a
major role in decarbonizing the transport sector and reducing its
reliance on fossil fuels. However, in terms of revenue, the bat-
tery electric vehicles (BEV) segment was followed by plug-in hy-
brid electric vehicles (PHEV) which are also projected to expand
at a faster rate in the automotive power electronics market.
The passenger car segment is expected to not only con-
tribute a major revenue share in the global automotive power
electronics market but projected to expand at a significant
pace during the forecast period from 2017 to 2025, owing to
various government initiatives for the adoption of advanced
vehicle ecosystems to minimize environmental contamination.
Upcoming safety rules are expected to increase the installation
of automotive safety technologies and security features in pas-
senger cars.
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• Singe and dual output models, fully regulated,
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• Wide input voltage ranges up to 75 VDC
includes the low voltage range 4.5–13.2 VDC
• Trim and remote control functions
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December 2017 News 29
 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY
Power Trends: The revolution arrives
By Nick Flaherty
A
revolution in power is here that has been almost 20 years the series of power lectures, which we do every two years,
in the making, says Steve Lambouses Vice President of
high voltage power at Texas Instruments.
The seeds of the revolution for TI were sown back in 1999
with its first big acquisition of the combined
Unitrode and Benchmarq for $1.2bn. With
the $7.6bn Burr Brown acquisition in 2000
and National Instruments in 2011, high
voltage power, power management, offline
AC-DC and isolated DC-DC converters and
gate drivers were scattered across different
divisions of the company.
“We’ve put all of that into HV Power and
we have been significantly investing in that,”
he said.
The aim is to provide the full power chain
with the design tools such as National’s
Web Bench simulator to take advantage
of the latest wide bandgap semiconductor
devices such as silicon carbide (SiC) and
Gallium Nitride (GaN).
“We do believe that wide bandgap
technology is that revolutionary change that
changes the game with new magnetics,” he
said. This isn’t just about high power sys-
tems where SiC and GaN have already been Steve Lambouses, VP of high voltage
deployed. Applying these new technologies power at Texas Instrument.
to areas such as USB Power Delivery (PD) in home automation,
distributed data centre power, inverters for renewable power
and electric vehicles can save megawatts of energy consump-
tion around the globe.
“At full load we want to be best in class efficiency and light “That’s why we put this business together to provide the whole
load as well as transient response,” he said. “With the onset of
GaN that allows us to get into topologies that are revolution-
ary in terms of the control topologies – we are also going to be
releasing some lower power control topologies that also use
GaN so it’s across the power spectrum from 30 W USB PD all
the way up to kilowatts.”
“Putting it under one business means we have all the infra-
structure and expertise available in one place,” said
Lambouses.
Education
Because this is relatively new area, education is a key factor,
and key seminars have been put online to help designers learn
about the new topologies.
“We continue to invest in train-
ing, and TI sponsors the Univer-
sity of Florida,” said Lambouses.
“It’s a great power school and I
work with the faculty but getting
students interested in hard core
power electronics has been an
industry wide challenge so get-
ting 30 years of Unitrode knowl-
edge disseminated on the Web,
I think that’s just how people get
knowledge these days.
“In addition to continuing with
30 News December 2017
EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW
this year we started a lighter version on HV interactive learning
about the new topologies in terms of the problems they solve
– here’s a real world challenge and a solution for that is using
the Web bench simulation which came from
the National acquisition and now includes
transformer simulation,” he said.
“We have also invested heavily in refer-
ence designs,” he said. “That [part of the
business] acts like a customer and pushes
us like customers, challenging us to think
about from a customer perspective so some
of the really relevant designs come from
their customers. What we find is a lot of end
equipment makers are trying to move away
from third parties to do their own designs so
they are having to learn about power supply
design.”
“Energy efficiency is central to everything
we do,” he said. “We have customers using
GaN moving from liquid cooling to air cool-
ing and that’s a huge saving, then there’s
the DC-DC devices that have high efficiency
so that we can remove the fan for ultrathin
systems.”
A Ferrari transmission
Having a high efficiency converter design is not enough though.
“The analogy is you can have a Ferrari engine but if you
don’t have a good transmission, ie the gate driver, then you
are not going to get the best performance,” said Lambouses.
power chain. Our strategy with the GaN switch is that it has to
be integrated to get the full performance, avoiding the trace
inductances that come from having it elsewhere on the PCB so
we have the gate driver and GaN switch in the same package
and that allows us to add over temperature protection and other
protection.”
The power supply cannot scale with the power levels of the
electronics, so the challenge is getting the higher switching fre-
quencies, new topologies for planar magnetics and using wide
bandgap devices.
“Many people, ourselves included, think that higher levels
of efficiency provide a much larger usage of electronics with a
10 to 11% reduction in the energy they consume – 98 to 99 is
www.eenewseurope.com
 EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW

sistor is sensitive to overvoltage so

you need very precise drive volt-
ages and overvoltage protection,”
he said.
For this to be industry wide,
there also needs to be standards.
“JC70 is the new JEDEC standard
for wideband semiconductors, for
specification and qualification, and
we are pretty excited about that,”
he said.

a 50% improvement in what we have today,” he said. “There’s
also a lot of devices that haven’t seen the efficiency levels that
server and higher power systems have, such as cell phone
and TV adaptors, so as a whole there is still room to grow and
improve. But with industrial automation and vehicles there is a
lot of room to improve.”
The other interesting part is that the vast majority of what
used to go through power converters will move to inverters with
renewable energy. “It will be over 80% going through inverters
by 2030,” he said.
“To do this you need to get to a revolutionary change and
there’s a lot to solve, from packaging to thermal performance.
Both GaN and SiC are very sensitive – the gate of a GaN tran-
Digital power
Digital control and communications
is a key trend for the industry, but
analogue controllers still have their
place, Lambouses says.
“We have quite a few customers
using digital controllers but when you get to the high density
GaN there isn’t an analogue controller so the digital controllers
is the workhorse for that – but we are working on future solu-
tions with similar performance in an analogue controller.”
Consolidation
Despite the consolidation in the power industry and a range of
startups in wide bandgap technologies, Lambouses sees TI as
already having been through this process.
“I’ll tell you what our CFO says to us: we are going to
continue to buy the best company in the industry, which is TI
stock with buy backs,” he said. “We like where we are investing
internally and that’s our plan right now.”

US lab to build ARM-based supercomputer

By Nick Flaherty

A
major US research laboratory is developing a super-
computer based on ARM’s 64bit chips. The US Depart-
ment of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory is
working with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) on software and
a development ecosystem for its high-performance computing
(HPC) system called Comanche.
Reducing the power consumption of HPC systems is a key
objective of the project. Over the
last decade, Argonne has been
partnering with industry vendor
IBM, and more recently, Intel and
Cray, to produce custom archi-
tectures optimized for scientific
and engineering research. These
architectures not only feature cus-
tom processor systems, but new
interconnects, software stacks
and solutions for power and
cooling. “Inducing competition is
a critical part of our mission and our ability to meet our users’
needs,” said Rick Stevens, associate laboratory director for
Argonne’s Computing, Environment and Life Sciences Director-
ate. Argonne is working with HPE to evaluate early versions of
Cavium’s ThunderX2 64bit ARM processors as a cost-effective
and power-effective alternative to x86 architectures based on
Intel CPUs. Argonne is installing a 32-node Comanche Wave
prototype ARM64 server platform in its testing and evaluation
environment, the Joint Laboratory for System Evaluation, in ear-
ly 2018. Argonne researchers from various computing divisions
will run applications on the ecosystem and provide performance
feedback to HPE and partnering vendors. “We have to build
the pipeline for future systems, too,” said Stevens. “Industry
partnerships are critical to our ability to do our job — which is to
provide extreme-scale computing capabilities for solving some
of the biggest challenges facing
the world today.”
“By initiating the Comanche
collaboration, HPE brought
together industry partners and
leadership sites like Argonne Na-
tional Laboratory to work in a joint
development effort,” said HPE’s
Chief Strategist for HPC and
Technical Lead for the Advanced
Development Team Nic Dubé.
“This program represents one of
the largest customer-driven prototyping efforts focused on the
enablement of the HPC software stack for ARM. We look for-
ward to further collaboration on the path to an open hardware
and software ecosystem.”
Argonne researchers may eventually contribute to develop-
ment of the ARM system’s compilers for HPC applications
through open source compiler projects such as LLVM, which
Argonne contributes to actively.

www.eenewseurope.com December 2017 News 31

 NEWS & TECHNOLOGY TEST

How Keysight gets prepared

for the connected, electric vehicle
By Christoph Hammerschmidt

T
he cars of the future, as many in the industry agree, will more.
be powered by electricity and will be constantly online With the development of several devices to verify the stan-
via wireless connections. The road to get there is paved dard conformity of BroadR-Reach, 100Base-T1 and 1000-Base-
with many technical challenges. At the Productronica T1 devices, Keysight is responding to the
trade show, measurement instrument manufacturer growing prevalence of Ethernet
Keysight demonstrated how it is preparing for data connections in the
this future. car. In some cases, it is
The challenges are enormous - but the world’s first com-
the temptations for future market mercial offers in their
growth are at least as great. respective sectors.
Benoit Neel, Vice President For the first time, they
and General Manager of provide full conformity
Keysight’s European orga- testing for BroadR-Reach,
nization, sees growing data 100BaseT1 and 1000Base-T1
volumes, higher bandwidths transmitters. Also referred to as
in communications, and the “World’s First”, Keysight refers to the
increasingly densely packed possibility of achieving 100 percent test
boards of the electronics coverage at the data link level in accordance
industry, which have more and with BroaR-Reach and 100Base-T1 definitions.
more features, as some of the Bit error rates can also be measured and verified
challenges. “The innovation takes with this device. The solutions presented simplify
place in many places at the same the setup and interpretation of the results of valida-
time,” Neel explains. tion tests on the layers PHY, PMA and PCS, according
On the side of the temptations is above to Keysight.
all the enormous market growth that is expected in the most On the electromobility side, Keysight also presented the
diverse areas of electronics. The Internet of Things is one of battery test solution at the event. In addition to the market for
these, with an expected market volume of 470 million dollars by traction batteries, Keysight also wants to cover the application
2020. Neel regards the networked car as a special case within areas of network communication and computer technology.
the IoT. The BT2152A self-discharge analyzer is designed for all these
Within all these tempting markets, Keysight places particular applications. It enables the time-saving analysis of the self-dis-
emphasis on the energy and automotive sectors - and the re- charge of Li-ion cells and the differentiation between good and
sulting intersection. In the current year, Keysight has developed bad cells. The device offers a drastic reduction in the evaluation
more than 50 products for this topic area in its R&D centers in of intermediates, reduces working capital costs and acceler-
Silicon Valley and in Germany and launched them on the market ates the time to market. Keysight will also be presenting its
worldwide. At the Productronica Keysight presented some new customizable BT2200 cell forming platform, consisting of
software and power supplies for charging
and discharging measurements.
In order to promote its test portfolio for
BEVs and HEVs, Keysight has also se-
cured third-party help. Nell described the
acquisition of the start-up company
Scienlab as “a very strategic step for us”.
The spin-off from the University of Duis-
burg is a well-accepted solution provider
for HEV/EV testing solutions that already
has been involved with key automo-
tive OEMs to provide them with testing
capabilities for batteries at the module,
pack and BMW level. “Their test solution
is accepted as a “gold standard” across
the industry”, Neel said. Other solutions
developed by the Scienlab experts include
inverters and on-board chargers. “Through
our acquisition, Scienlab can operate glob-
Temptating markets: Keysight intends to get a piece of them
ally,” the Keysight manager commented.

32 News December 2017 www.eenewseurope.com


Marvell to acquire Cavium,
targets end-to-end systems
By Jean-Pierre Joosting
M
arvell Technology Group and Cavium have announced
a definitive agreement, unanimously approved by the
boards of directors of both companies, under which
Marvell will acquire Cavium to become a leader in infrastructure
systems with approximately $3.4 billion1 in annual revenue.
The transaction combines Marvell’s portfolio of leading HDD
and SSD storage controllers, networking solutions and high-
performance wireless connectivity products with Cavium’s port-
folio of leading multi-core processing, networking communica-
tions, storage connectivity and security systems. The combined
product portfolios provide the scale and breadth to deliver
comprehensive end-to-end systems for customers across the
cloud data center, enterprise and service provider markets, and
expands Marvell’s serviceable addressable
market to more than $16 billion.
This transaction also creates an R&D
innovation engine to accelerate product
development, positioning the company to
meet today’s massive and growing demand
for data storage, heterogeneous computing
and high-speed connectivity.
The transaction is expected to generate
at least $150 to $175 million of annual run-
rate synergies within 18 months post close and to be signifi-
cantly accretive to revenue growth, margins and non-GAAP
EPS.
“This is an exciting combination of two very complemen-
tary companies that together equal more than the sum of their
parts,” said Marvell President and Chief Executive Officer, Matt
Murphy. “This combination expands and diversifies our revenue
base and end markets, and enables us to deliver a broader set
of differentiated solutions to our customers.”
“Individually, our businesses are exceptionally strong, but
together, we will be one of the few companies in the world
capable of delivering such a comprehensive set of end-to-end
solutions to our combined customer base,” said Cavium Co-
founder and Chief Executive Officer, Syed Ali.
Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Marvell will pay
www.eenewseurope.com
BUSINESS
Cavium shareholders $40.00 in cash and 2.1757 Marvell com-
mon shares for each share of Cavium common stock. The ex-
change ratio was based on a purchase price of $80 per share,
using Marvell’s undisturbed price prior to November 3, when
media reports of the transaction first surfaced. This represents
a transaction value of approximately $6 billion. Cavium share-
holders are expected to own approximately 25 percent of the
combined company on a pro forma basis.
Marvell intends to fund the cash consideration with a com-
bination of cash on hand from the combined companies and
$1.75 billion in debt financing. Marvell has obtained commit-
ments consisting of an $850 million bridge loan commitment
and a $900 million committed term loan from Goldman Sachs
Bank USA and Bank of America Merrill
Lynch, in each case, subject to customary
terms and conditions. The transaction is not
subject to any financing condition.
The transaction is expected to close in
mid-calendar 2018, subject to regulatory
approval as well as other customary closing
conditions, including the adoption by Ca-
vium shareholders of the merger agreement
and the approval by Marvell shareholders of
the issuance of Marvell common shares in the transaction.
Matt Murphy will lead the combined company, and the
leadership team will have strong representation from both
companies, including Marvell’s current Chief Financial Officer
Jean Hu, Cavium’s Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer
Raghib Hussain and Cavium’s Vice President of IC Engineering
Anil Jain. In addition, Cavium’s Co-founder and Chief Executive
Officer, Syed Ali, will continue with the combined company as a
strategic advisor and will join Marvell’s Board of Directors, along
with two additional board members from Cavium’s Board of
Directors, effective upon closing of the transaction.
Based on preliminary financial information, Marvell expects
revenue of $610 to $620 million and non-GAAP earnings per
share to be between $0.32 and $0.34, above the mid-point of
guidance provided on August 24, 2017.
December 2017 News 33
 DESIGN & PRODUCTS
AI, neural networks and the edge of the cloud
By Francisco Socal
C
urrently, there is much excitement around Artificial Intel-
ligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Deep Learning
(DL), as well as other interrelated and emerging tech-
nologies. A recent article in Business Insider stated, “AI isn’t
part of the future of technology. AI is the future of technology”.
AI and its related disciplines are moving rapidly from research
labs to diverse real-world applications, with tangible benefits for
consumers and innovative business models – from autonomous
vehicles to natural language processing, and cognitive expert
advisors.
The list of applications employing intelligent and computer
vision crosses multiple industries and market segments. AI is
already commonplace in both consumer ap-
plications, such as personal assistants, and
in commercial use cases such as credit card
fraud detection, security and robotics. AI
is expected to be the next general purpose
technology – a significantly disruptive long-
term source of broadly diffused growth,
which is likely to last for at least 75 years.
A significant section of this “intelligence”
has primarily taken the shape of neural
networks (NNs) for processing, segmenting
and classifying images. NNs have proved
themselves to be highly capable of multiple different tasks and
producing fast accurate results, all while exceeding human
capabilities. Open source frameworks such as Caffe and Ten-
sorFlow are enabling the dissemination and democratisation of
NNs, creating a vibrant ecosystem of researchers and develop-
ers around them. The introduction of an NN API for Android will
enable the industry to focus and accelerate the adoption of NNs
even further.
Processing in edge devices
For NNs to do their job correctly, they first need to be trained.
Typically, this is done ‘offline’ in the cloud and relies on pow-
erful server hardware. The recognising of patterns of objects
is known as inferencing and is done in real-time. It involves
deploying and running the trained neural network model. Today,
this stage is also performed in the cloud, but moving forward,
due to scalability issues and to fully achieve AI’s potential it
will need to be done at the edge – for example, on mobile and
embedded devices. It is also driven by the increasing need for
AI-enabled devices to operate remotely and/or untethered, such
as drones, smartphones and augmented reality smart glasses.
Looking at connectivity in more detail, mobile networks might
not always be available, whether they are 3G, 4G or 5G, not to
mention the prohibitive costs involved to stream multiple simul-
taneous high-resolution video feeds. Therefore, sending data to
and from the cloud and expecting a decision in real-time won’t
be realistic. As such, it is now time to move the processing and
deployment of NNs to edge devices. It is simply not practi-
cal to run them over the network due to the issues highlighted
earlier – scalability, latency, sporadic inaccessibility and a lack
of suitable security.
Francisco Socal is Technology Marketing Manager for PowerVR
at Imagination Technologies - www.imgtec.com
34 News December 2017
COMPUTER VISION
Why dedicated hardware acceleration
is needed
On the other hand, deploying and running NNs on edge devic-
es, brings its own unique challenges, such as limited compute
resources, power and memory bandwidth.
To deliver the required level of performance within those
constraints, a dedicated silicon offering hardware accelera-
tion for neural networks in needed. This will provide the leap in
performance required and much-reduced power consumption –
something that consumers care about considerably. While they
will come to expect the benefits of AI, such as improved search,
they will not want it at a cost to their device’s battery life.
New use cases
The high performance of dedicated and
local hardware acceleration will enable
new use cases, for example, in areas such
as smart security. The key driver is the
reduced total cost of ownership. NNs can,
for example, detect suspicious behaviour
automatically, raise an alarm, engage opera-
tors to monitor the situation and then take
action if needed. In addition, the bandwidth
to transmit and store surveillance footage is
significantly reduced.
Dedicated hardware will also enable security systems to per-
form on-device analytics, whether in a camera in a city centre,
a stadium or a home security system. It has the ability to run
multiple different network types, meaning it can enable more
intelligent decision making and therefore reduce the number of
false-positives, saving time and power. Also, due to the low-
power processing, these cameras can be powered over the
data network or even be battery operated, making them easier
to deploy and manage.
Drones are another great example of AI and NNs working
successfully together. They typically fly at speeds in excess of
150mph or 67m/s and therefore, the vision algorithms need to
be run locally. Without dedicated hardware for NN acceleration,
a drone would need to anticipate obstacles 10-15 meters ahead
to avoid a collision. Due to network availability, bandwidth and
latency, it is impossible to do this over the cloud. With a true
hardware solution, the drone can run multiple NNs to identify
and track objects simultaneously, at a distance of only one
metre.
As part of my role in Imagination I work on a dedicated
hardware offering to enable this required leap in performance
and power consumption: the PowerVR Series 2NX neural net-
work accelerator (NNA). Recently, a smartphone manufacturer
announced that its hardware used to enable face detection for
unlocking the device offered 600 billion operations per second
– the Series2NX deliver up to 3.2 trillion operations a second
in a single core. Typically, there will be thousands of photos on
the smartphone which are sorted automatically in a number
of ways, including, for example, identifying all photos will a
particular person in them. A GPU could process around 2,400
pictures using one per cent of the battery power but using the
same amount of power, the PowerVR Series2NX could handle
428,000 images, highlighting the full potential of NNs.
www.eenewseurope.com
 COMPUTER VISION

Looking to the future – the right combination

of AI and NN accelerators
As the world becomes increasingly dependent on AI, so will the need for NNs – con-
sumers will come to expect and demand the enhancements they bring, such image
recognition, voice processing, language translation and more, but without negatively
impacting performance or power.
The processing will have to be done in edge devices because delays due to la-
tency, sporadic inaccessibility and a lack of suitable security simply won’t be accept-
able to consumers and in some instances, could ultimately put lives at risks.
However, without a NNA in place some devices will struggle to keep up and

.18" ht.
ultimately will fail to succeed at their intended task. Therefore, it is clear that to make
AI practicable, a NN running on an NNA in an edge device should be the platform of

Size does
choice for the future.

Hi-resolution LiDAR gets compact and affordable

By Christoph Hammerschmidt matter!
SURFACE MOUNT
V
elodyne has introduced a LiDAR sensor that has, according to the company,
the world’s best resolution, longest range, and widest field of view. With 128 la- AND PLUG IN
MILITARY/CRITICAL
ser beams, the VLS-128 will replace the HDL-64 LiDAR as the industry standard
for high performance. At the same time, the company promises price cuts.
High-resolution LiDAR is critical to navigate autonomous cars and provide vehicle APPLICATIONS
safety. Velodyne expressed its expectation that the VLS-128 will become the new
standard for fully autonomous cars and cars equipped with advanced safety features
QPL UNITS STANDARD
because of the quantity of data it produces in real time at top speed.
TRANSFORMERS
AND INDUCTORS
A LiDAR sensor such as the
one Velodyne introduced provides
real-time 3D images all around • Audio Transformers
the vehicle, far into the distance,
producing billions of data points
• Pulse Transformers
eagerly understood and consumed • DC-DC Converters
by a computer. LiDAR systems are • Transformers
said to be more reliable, based on • MultiPlex Data
measurements, and therefore more Bus Transformers
accurate than a camera based safety system. • Power &
Velodyne LiDAR, Inc. founder and CEO David Hall invented the 360-degree solid- EMI Inductors
state hybrid LiDAR ten years ago to use and sell in the Darpa Grand Challenge. He
designed and sold the HDL-64 LiDAR, which since then became the gold standard VISIT OUR EXCITING
LiDAR for the autonomous car industry. However, the system is said to be rather NEW WEBSITE with
expensive. SEARCH WIZARD
“Such as sensor costs almost as much as a small compact car alone”, an insider
disclosed to eeNews Europe. For this reason, many companies across the industry
are working on compact solid-state LiDAR sensors that do not require moveable parts
and therefore can be produced and sold much cheaper.
In past September 2017, Velodyne offered sneak previews of the VLS-128 dense
picture to select customers attending the IAA Auto Show in Frankfurt, Germany. An
Pico Representatives
upgrade to the HDL-64, the VLS-128 offers a richer image with four times the data Germany
ELBV/Electra Bauemente Vertrieb
points and density than the HDL-64. This will enhance the ability for object detection E mail: info@elbv.de
and collision avoidance while traveling highways speeds, by gathering billions more Phone: 49 089 460205442
Fax: 49 089 460205442
data points when traveling in real time.
England
Size matters: the VLS-128 is 70 percent smaller than the HDL-64, with double the Ginsbury Electronics Ltd
range and four times the resolution. It is the highest performing LiDAR sensor on the E-mail: rbennett@ginsbury.co.uk
market in terms of its ability to deal with a complex environment, Velodyne claims. Phone: 44 163 429800
Due to its 905nm technology, it operates in dry climates and wet environments, and Fax: 44 163 4290904
is based on mass-produced CMOS semiconductor technologies. It is produced
today at Velodyne’s Megafactory in San Jose using a proprietary fully automatic laser
alignment and manufacturing system. Future models will also be produced as part of
143 Sparks Ave. Pelham, N.Y. 10803
Velodyne’s Tier-1 Automotive Program.
info@picoelectronics.com
Cost matters too.
“We are getting the cost down. It is already dramatically reduced, and more so www.picoelectronics.com
when ordered at higher volumes. Into the future, LiDAR will be affordable and put on
cars worldwide for safety and autonomy”, said Velodyne’s President Marta Hall.
800-431-1064

www.eenewseurope.com December 2017 News 35

 DESIGN & PRODUCTS
Leveraging the real world as a dynamic display, with light
By Julien Happich
C
alifornian startup, Lightform announced it has secured a
$5 million round of funding led by Lux Capital, with other
investors including Dolby Family Ventures, CrunchFund,
Comet Labs, Presence Capital, and Anorak Ventures.
The startup which emerged from stealth last March when se-
curing $2.6 million in seed funding, has developed a WiFi-con-
nected computer specifically designed for projected augmented
reality. The dual camera device leverages computer vision algo-
rithms and connects to any video projector to 3D map objects
in a room and then drive the projector to create inspiring light
scenes on target objects tracked in real time.
Accompanying desktop software, Lightform Creator, lets de-
signers easily create magical AR effects for their environments,
allowing users to easily map digital video content onto 3D
objects and spaces for a dynamic augmented reality display to
be experienced by anyone present in the room. This type of AR
eliminates the need for headsets or phones, allowing viewers to
have unobstructed, shared AR experiences.
Startup taps ARM computer vision for deep learning skills
By Nick Flaherty
C
ambridge imaging technology startup Spectral Edge has
appointed the former R&D director of ARM’s computer
vision team as its new Chief Technology Officer.
Dr Ilya Romanenko played a key role in R&D leadership for
12 years at image sensor designer Apical
and after the company was acquired by
ARM in 2016 he became R&D Director for
ARM’s computer vision team.
He wants to combine Spectral Edge’s
proven Phusion image processing technol-
ogy with a new approach based on Deep
Learning for a new range of imaging tech-
nology for smartphones.
“Spectral Edge is built on impressive fun-
damental technology, which sits at the inter-
section of the image processing and com-
puter vision fields, meaning I can use my
knowledge and expertise in both to move
the company forward,” said Romanenko.
“It is already delivering significant benefits
to companies in the broadcast market, and I am confident that
36 News December 2017
COMPUTER VISION
Previously, the cost and complexity of creating projected AR
has limited the technology to high-budget projects at theme
parks, concerts, and events, but the startup aims to democra-
tize projection mapping.
Lightform has started manufacturing its first production units
and plans to use the $5M round to finance the first manufactur-
ing run.
“There’s been a lot of undelivered hype in the AR/VR space,
so we want to ensure we can ship a product to our custom-
ers and deliver on our promises.” says Brett Jones, Lightform’s
CEO. “Given the skepticism around AR vaporware, we want
to make it clear that Lightform is real and being used for real
applications. Funding the development with this new capital
allows us to finalize our product before we start selling it, not
the other way around.” Lightform is currently alpha testing with
select partners, and will be available to order next year. The
device will cost under $1000, and will have an optional profes-
sional software subscription. The company is also actively hiring
for multiple roles building tools for creative people.
working with the team we can bring this technology to life, par-
ticularly within products in the mobile sector, improving the user
experience and bringing a new quality to existing products.”
His appointment follows that of new CEO Rhodri Thomas,
who joined from SwiftKey/Microsoft in
February 2017. The company is a spinout of
the Colour and Vision Group at University of
East Anglia (UEA) and uses patented image
fusion technology which can combine infra-
red and thermal data in real-time on smart-
phones and other consumer electronics, to
enhance detail and aid visual accessibility.
“Ilya’s appointment is a further major
step in Spectral Edge’s growth, bringing
world-class R&D leadership and experience
to our team,” said Thomas. “Image process-
ing is now a vital part of differentiation in
smartphone development and I’m delighted
to welcome Ilya on board as we develop our
IP and support our customers in delivering
market-leading visual experiences to their consumers.”
www.eenewseurope.com
 COMPUTER VISION

7.42Mpixel CMOS stacked image sensor

sampling for ADAS
Sony Semiconductor has developed a new 1/1.7-type stacked
CMOS image sensor boasting a resolution of 7.42 megapixel
(3849H x 1929V) at 40fps for forward-
sensing cameras in advanced driver-
assistance systems (ADAS).
Sampling now, the 13.23x8.97mm
IMX324 image sensor is capable of
approximately three times the horizon-
tal resolution of conventional prod-
ucts, supporting the high-definition
image capture of distant road signs
approximately 160 meters ahead of
the camera.
A pixel binning mode further raises the
sensitivity in low-light environments,
reaching a sensitivity of 2666mV,
making it possible to capture images
of pedestrians and obstacles even in low-light environments as
low as 0.1 lux. For scenes with varying levels of brightness, a
function alternately captures dark sections at high-sensitivity
settings and bright sections at high resolution, which can then
be processed into high-precision image recognition.
It is the first time in the industry that a stacked configuration is
employed on an automotive grade sensor, claims Sony
Semiconductor, who arranged the pix-
el array and signal processing circuit
in layers created at different technol-
ogy nodes for design optimization.
The image sensor is expected to be
compatible with the “EyeQ4” and
“EyeQ5” image processors currently
being developed by Mobileye for use
in ADAS and autonomous vehicle
technology.
It is planned to meet the AEC-Q100
Grade 2 reliability testing standards
for automotive electronic components
by June 2018. The sensor comes with
a security feature that protects the
output image from being altered.
Sony Semiconductor
www.sony-semicon.co.jp

ams and Sunny Opotech join forces on 3D

said Alexander Everke, CEO of ams in a joint statement.
sensing camera development Ningbo Sunny Opotech’s CEO David Wang added, “Sunny
Austrian sensor developer ams Opotech believes that ams is the
and Chinese integrated optical de- industry’s leading 3D sensing
vices and optical imaging system technology provider with a com-
solution provider Ningbo Sunny plete portfolio of key components
Opotech (a subsidiary of Sunny and technologies enhanced by a
Optical Technology) announced unique patent portfolio. Combin-
they will jointly develop and market ing this with Sunny Opotech’s
3D sensing camera solutions for advanced semiconductor
mobile device and automotive ap- packaging technology, optical
plications. system design, mass production
The two companies aim to com- abilities as well as precise active
bine their respective strengths in alignment and optical calibration
the optical sensing and imaging technologies will enable us to
space to offer 3D sensing solutions bring Chinese OEMs and global
to device OEMs and system sup- customers optimized and com-
pliers (in China and the rest of the prehensive 3D sensing solutions.”
world), supporting a faster time-to-market for high performance ams
3D camera systems. www.ams.com
The companies will work together to create camera solutions for
3D sensing applications that are set to incorporate the partners’
range of optical technologies and components, bundled with
related software and algorithms.
The partnership is focused on mobile device and smartphone
opportunities at global OEMs to drive new 3D consumer appli-
cations but it also extends to upcoming automotive opportuni-
ties for 3D sensing camera systems.
“We are very excited about this collaboration which brings
together ams’ leadership in optical sensing with Sunny Optical’s
leading position in optical components and module manufac-
turing. Teaming up with Sunny Opotech, we are accelerating
the time-to-market and availability of high quality 3D sensing
solutions for smartphones and mobile devices where efficient
module integration is key to enable 3D sensing for smartphone
OEMs. At the same time, this collaboration allows us to pursue
emerging 3D sensing opportunities in the automotive world”

www.eenewseurope.com December 2017 News 37

 DESIGN & PRODUCTS
Automotive stepping motor driver
for 2-phase constant-current operation
Toshiba Electronics Europe has just launched a new constant
current 2-phase stepping motor driver for automotive appli-
cations and a wide range
of general uses, includ-
ing adjusting the mirror
for projection of heads-up
displays, motorcycle valves
and valve / damper control-
lers in HVAC applications.
The TB9120FTG IC provides
PWM 2-phase constant cur-
rent control from a simple clock signal, with no need for an ad-
vanced microcontroller (MCU) or dedicated software. Smooth,
precise control and lower motor noise are guaranteed by the
micro step drive that is selectable for full, half, 1/4, 1/8, 1/16
and 1/32 steps. A mixed decay mode ensures that the current
flowing through the motor is stable. The new IC operates from
a single supply voltage in the range 7V to 18V and incorporates
DMOS FETs with low on-resistance (RON) [upper + lower =
0.7Ω at 25˚C], which are capable of delivering a maximum cur-
rent of 1.5A. Operating in the -40 to 125°C temperature range,
the device comes in a 6.0x6.0mm QFN28 type package. The
TB9120FTG incorporates a variety of error detections including
stall detection, thermal shutdown, over-current detection and
open load detection and provides a flag output for errors.
Toshiba Electronics Europe
www.toshiba.semicon-storage.com
12-bit sin/cos interpolator IC supports
up to 4000 increments per revolution
iC-Haus’ iC-PI is a 12-bit sin/cos interpolator IC that sup-
ports optical and magnetic length and angle gauges as well as
sensor controlled brushless
motor commutation.
The device provides an A/D
conversion with a tracking la-
tency of less than 250ns and
offers a sine resolution of up
to 4000 edges per AB cycle
(binary: 4096). AB output
frequency is up to 10MHz,
with a minimum AB transition distance of 25ns. The transition
distance can be preselected to optimize the interference immu-
nity of the position encoder. Encoder signals are supplemented
by a generated index signal whose position, width, and logic
can be set as required. At the same time a patented signal
conditioning unit provides glitch-free quadrature signals with
hysteresis which always maintain a preset minimum transition
distance. The fault-tolerant on-chip RS422 driver outputs incre-
mental signals (ABZ) and commutation signals (UVW) to ensure
a reliable data transfer. The dual-core design of the device al-
lows to generate precise binary or decimal resolutions without
systematic pitch errors. An I2C interface allows for absolute
angle measurements. The iC-PI comes in a 6.5x6.4mm 20-pin
TSSOP housing. It operates from a +5V supply (max. 35mA)
within a -40 to +100° temperature range.
iC-Haus
www.ichaus.de
38 News December 2017
MOTORS & DRIVES
Quad full-bridge PWM motor driver IC
for under 18V applications
Allegro MicroSystems’ new quad DMOS full-bridge driver is
capable of driving up to two stepper motors or four DC mo-
tors. The AMT49701 was
designed specifically for
dual axis, point of sale,
office automation, security,
surveillance, IP cameras,
as well as industrial auto-
mation applications. Each
full-bridge output is rated
up to 1A and 18V. This new
driver includes fixed off-time pulse-width modulation (PWM)
current regulators, along with 2-bit nonlinear DACs (digital-to-
analogue converters) that allow stepper motors to be controlled
in full, half, and quarter steps, and DC motors in forward,
reverse, and coast modes. The PWM current regulator uses
the Allegro patented mixed decay mode for reduced audible
motor noise, increased step accuracy, and reduced power dis-
sipation. Internal synchronous rectification control circuitry is
provided to improve power dissipation during PWM operation.
Protection features include thermal shutdown with hysteresis,
undervoltage lockout (UVLO) and crossover-current protection.
Special power-up sequencing is not required. The AMT49701
is supplied in an EV package, a 6×6mm, 36-pin QFN package
with a nominal overall package height of 0.90mm.
Allegro MicroSystems
www.allegromicro.com
Resolver motor position sensor supports
through-shaft positioning
Thanks to its ability to measure the absolute angle, Melexis’
second-generation resolver motor position sensor based upon
the company’s proprietary
Triaxis Hall magnetic sens-
ing technology, is compatible
with any brushless motor,
including Permanent Magnet
Synchronous Motors (PMSM)
and Brushless DC Motors
(BLDC). The MLX90380 single
IC solution is suitable for
high-speed rotating applications, such as automotive electri-
cal power steering motors and superchargers, due to its 2μs
sampling and 8μs output refresh rates. The chip provides Sine
and Cosine analog ratiometric outputs while other options
include the ability to select sensitivity from 10mT to 70mT and
three different configurations for the magnetic field axis. What’s
more, the IC can be mounted in either end-of-shaft or through-
shaft applications. By simply selecting the correct option code,
designers are now able to measure rotation and position at any
point along a shaft by using a ring magnet in conjunction with
the MLX90380. The MLX90380 operates from -40 to +150°C
for use in harsh applications. A standard version is available in
a small SOIC-8 package and a fully redundant version is pro-
vided in a SOIC-16 package. For PCB-less applications, such
as direct mounting in a motor, a DMP-4 package is available.
Melexis
www.melexis.com
www.eenewseurope.com

Three-phase half-bridge gate driver simplifies
BLDC and PMSM motor drive
The DGD2136 from Diodes Incorporated is a fully integrated
3-phase gate driver IC intended for driving N‑channel MOS-
FETs or IGBTs in a half-
bridge configuration.
With its floating high-
side drivers, bootstrap
operation allows the
DGD2136 to switch up
to 600V, while stan-
dard logic level inputs
down to 2.4V enable
an easy control interface. This gate driver is designed for BLDC
and PMSM motor drive applications such as those commonly
found in household appliances, power and garden tools, air
conditioners, sewing machines, and industrial motors. The
device incorporates multiple protections: overcurrent is sensed
via an external resistor to turn off all outputs; matched propa-
gation delays with an internal dead-time and shoot-through
logic prevent both outputs from being high when both inputs
are high (a fault state); a VCC under-voltage lockout shuts
down the respective high side output; and built-in immunity to
high dv/dt transients at the VS pin minimizes the risk of false
triggering. The DGD2136 also has a fault signal output that
enables monitoring of the driver stage and can be used with
the RC input pin to provide an adjustable reset time.
Diodes Incorporated
www.diodes.com
Active rectifier controller
endures cold-crank conditions
With the “Power by Linear “LT8672, Analog Devices is introduc-
ing an active rectifier controller for an input voltage range from 3
to 42V. With this feature, the
company is addressing the
needs of automotive applica-
tions which must regulate
through cold-crank and stop-
start scenarios with minimum
input voltages as low as 3.0V
and load dump transients up
to 40V. The LT8672 drives
an external N-channel MOSFET, offering a voltage drop of just
20mV. This translates into a reduction of power dissipation by
90% compared to a Schottky diode and enables designers to
eliminate a heat sink. The ultrafast transient response enables
it to meet stringent automotive applications requiring AC input
ripple rectification up to 100kHz. Additionally, its 20µA quies-
cent current while operating and 3.5µA in shutdown are ideal for
always-on systems. The combination of the MSOP-10 package
and external MOSFET ensures a compact solution footprint.
The LT8672 offers the combination of 3V minimum input capa-
bility and a 20mV drop, enabling it to ease the minimum input
voltage requirement during cold-crank and stop-start, providing
simpler and more efficient circuits. If the input power source
fails or is shorted, a very fast turn-off minimizes reverse current
transients.
Linear
www.linear.com
www.eenewseurope.com
MOTORS & DRIVES
Transistor arrays support high-voltage,
large-current drives up to 50V/0.5A
Toshiba Electronics Europe has added 11 products to its line-
up of new-generation transistor arrays equipped with DMOS
FET outputs, capable of
delivering high-voltage,
large-current drive up to
50V/0.5A. The new devices
expand the 37 products
that are already part of the
TBD62xxxA series, which
have found wide application
in areas including motors,
relays, LEDs, and level shifters for control communication lines.
The devices meet customer requirements for a wider variety of
input and output methods and functions. Current products are
mainly High-active (H-active) type products where the output
is turned on when the input is high. Toshiba is now adding
Low-active (L-active) products where the output is turned on if
the input is low. Due to their open-drain configuration, L-active
products are very well suited to level shifters for control and
communication lines in industrial equipment and home appli-
ances. Toshiba is also adding the TBD62381A series, which
reduces power consumption by modifying the characteristics
of the TBD62083A series. The next generation transistor arrays
in the TBD62XXX series reduce power by approximately 40%
when compared to the TD62XXX series.
Toshiba Electronics Europe
www.toshiba.semicon-storage.com
Ada motor controller wins competition
A motor controller developed using the Ada high reliability pro-
gramming language has won a competition for innovation.
The Ada Motorcontrol software platform for a brushless DC
motor controller was de-
veloped by Jonas Attertun
from Sweden. It consists of a
basic but clean and readable
implementation of a sensored
field oriented control algorithm
along with a logging feature
that will simplify development
and allows users to see what
is happening. The project shows that Ada successfully can be
used for a bare-metal project that requires fast execution. As
the Ada programming language has been designed specifically
for safety critical applications, it could be a good alternative to C
for implementing safe motor controllers in applications such as
electric vehicles. However, it is not uncommon that a mistake in
C leads to destroyed hardware such as burned motor or power
electronics, says Attertun. The stricter compiler of Ada could
prevent such accidents. The open source project includes core
software for controlling brushless DC motors with support both
sensored and sensorless operation. It uses Ada on top of the
Ravenscar runtime for the STM32F446, ARM Cortex-M4, 180
MHz microcontroller with FPU but should not be too difficult to
port to another microcontroller. The ‘Make with Ada’ competition
was sponsored by French tool developer Adacore.
Ada
www.adacore.com
December 2017 News 39
 DESIGN & PRODUCTS
2D/3D sensors range has expanded visual
field to 1350mm
Wenglor’s new performance class for weCat3D profile sensors
MLSL2 includes a total of ten new models, providing more op-
tions for three-dimensional object measurement.
Whereas MLSL series sensors have thus far only been capable
of covering visual field widths of up to 280 mm in the X direc-
tion, the ten new models
offer visual field widths of
up to 1350 mm in the X
direction. And this means
that significantly larger
objects can now be detected than in the past. Diverse appli-
cations such as bin picking, pick & place, gap measurement,
object counting and 3D sealant bead monitoring represent
only a small portion of the possible uses for this technology.
Measuring just 200x67x38mm, the ten new models represent
a mixture of performance and compact design. Variants with
different laser classes including 2M, 3R and 3B and red or blue
light also provide customers with maximum diversity for prod-
uct selection. The sensors acquire up to 3.6 million measuring
points per second and boast a fast measuring rate at 4000Hz.
They feature a built-in display and a Gigabit Ethernet interface.
wenglor
www.wenglor.com
IP54-protected portable oscilloscopes with up
to 4 totally-isolated channels
The standalone IP54-protected Metrix SCOPIX IV oscil-
loscopes are equipped with 2 or 4 totally-isolated channels
(from one another and from earth with 600 V CAT III safety).
They offer a bandwidth from 60MHz to 300MHz and support
a sampling rate of 2.5GS/s in one-shot mode and 100GS/s
maximum in ETS zoom mode. The units
feature a 12-bit converter with a vertical
resolution of 0.025%. In addition to its
advanced trigger functions (pulse width,
counting, delay), the SCOPIX IV also
proposes 20 automatic measurements per
channel associated with the cursors for
full analysis. Operating up to eight hours
from a fast charging battery, the instru-
ment can share measurement results via any of its Ethernet/
WiFi/USB/μSD interfaces. The Ethernet network interface with
ScopeNet web server can also be used to take control of the
instrument remotely and transfer curves or screenshots without
any additional software. To speed up measurements, 30 direct
command keys are on the front panel. Analysis modes include
multi meter, analyser, recorder and viewing of the files recorded
on the oscilloscope. The backlit 7” WVGA TFT colour touch
screen makes it particularly easy to read, with menus available
in more than 13 languages. The keypad on the front panel has
been completely redesigned to make it simpler to use with
protective gloves. It includes 5 specific direct-access zones
(Utilities, Measurements, Vertical, Horizontal, Trigger). Each
channel and its related parameters can be identified by the use
of an identical colour against a black background for simpler,
quicker viewing.
Chauvin Arnoux
www.chauvin-arnoux.com
40 News December 2017
DATA ACQUISITION
24-bit precision sensor acquisition modules
Teledyne LeCroy’s SAM40 provides up to 24 input channels
for low frequency (sensor signal) acquisition and analysis. It
connects to a 4 or 8 channel Teledyne LeCroy 12-bit resolu-
tion high definition oscil-
loscope (HD4096 HDOs
and MDAs) to provide
Analog+Digital+Sensor
(up to 8+16+24 channel)
acquisitions. This capabil-
ity is suitable for system
debug and analysis of
deeply embedded, electro-
mechanical, and mechatronic designs. All channels have 24-bit
resolution (stored in 32-bit floating point format) with ~0.05%
total accuracy. Built-in filters with settings as low as 100 Hz
further reduce noise. Adjustable gain ranges (1 mV to 10 V/div)
accurately acquire a wide range of signal levels. More than 65
different SI and English system physical units are supported for
length, mass, temperature, angle, velocity, acceleration, vol-
ume, force/ weight, pressure, electrical, magnetic, energy and
rotating machine quantities. Math and measurements applied
to rescaled waveforms correctly read and convert to new units
as required. The oscilloscope math, measure, analysis, pass/
fail and option packages utilize the sensor inputs the same as
any other channel.
Teledyne LeCroy
www.teledynelecroy.com
Pico grows its range of sampling oscilloscopes
Pico Technology has added three 15 GHz models and a further 25
GHz model to its professional, portable and low-cost PicoScope
9300 Series of Sampling Oscilloscopes. The new 15 GHz models
replace the preceding
9200 Series 12 GHz
models, with significantly
upgraded specifications
at lower prices, with the
result that all Pico Sam-
pling Oscilloscopes now
operate under the same
PicoSample 3 software.
These instruments combine Pico’s uniquely cost-effective sampling
technology with the convenience of USB and LAN control ports. At
an entry-level price below $11,000, the 9301-15 offers two chan-
nels at a bandwidth of 15 GHz and pre-scaled trigger to 14 GHz. It
delivers market-leading 16-bit sampling rate of 1 MS/s in support of
fast-update eye diagrams, persisted traces, histograms and statisti-
cal analysis. Equivalent sampling rate tops out at 15 TS/s—that’s a
time resolution of just 64 fs. Move up to the 9302‑15 to add Clock
Recovery trigger out to 11.3 Gb/s and RMS jitter typically down to
1.0 ps + 1% of data interval. The 9311-15 addresses single-ended
Time Domain Transmission and Time Domain Reflection measure-
ments. In this model, system transition time (65 ps) halves distance
resolution and adjustable pulse width extends reflected fault detec-
tion range from around 4 mm typically out to 400m. At 20 GHz,
the 9311-20 continues to support fully differential and deskewable
TDR/TDT capability.
Pico Technology
www.picotech.com
www.eenewseurope.com

Barcode analytics software monitors
logistics in real time
Designed for factory automation and logistics operations,
Cognex’ Explorer Real Time Monitoring (RTM) aggregates
and reports trends in data
captured by DataMan bar-
code readers and provides
instant facility-wide feedback
to identify process errors,
minimize no-reads, and maxi-
mize throughput. RTM tracks
trends in barcode quality,
monitors configuration chang-
es, and analyzes data from every DataMan barcode reader to
quickly identify the causes of low read rates and other errors
that threaten the efficiency of an operation. Easy-to-use online
dashboards display configuration-based audit logs and heat
maps, allowing facility and plant managers to implement imme-
diate corrective action and optimize processes. By providing
access to network data, Cognex Explorer Real Time Monitoring
supports smart factories and emerging Industry 4.0 environ-
ments. RTM can configure up to 20 DataMan readers and re-
sults can be monitored using a browser-based interface. RTM’s
time-based performance statistics are viewable anywhere
within a facility from a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
Cognex
www.cognex.com
Boundary scan testing standard
DDR4 DIMM sockets
With the CION LX modules/DIMM288-4, Goepel electronic
presents a new module for enhanced testing of standard DDR4
DIMM sockets. The
module is inserted
directly into the DDR4
socket of a device
under test and is
integrated to pro-
duce the enhanced
boundary scan test
using the boundary scan chain. This allows short circuits and
unconnected pins in particular to be found easily. The module
can be cascaded as much as required, with the result that
multiple DDR4 DIMM sockets – of a mainboard, for example –
can even be tested simultaneously. Power is supplied via the
DDR4 DIMM socket of the device under test itself, removing
the need for an external power supply. A total of 165 boundary
scan test channels are provided for testing the address, data
and control lines. The data transmission direction of each of
these test channels can be freely programmed (input, output,
bi-directional and tri-state). The integrated CION-LX chips
support all the features of these mixed-signal modules, in par-
ticular the arbitrary waveform generator, signal recorder, event
detector and frequency meter. This means that both digital
and analogue tests (such as measuring voltage levels) can be
carried out. Thanks to the JEDEC standardisation of the DDR4
DIMM sockets, the CION LX modules/DIMM288-4 module can
be used in all devices under test that contain this connector.
Goepel electronic
www.goepel.com
www.eenewseurope.com
DATA ACQUISITION
Digitizers allow fast and easy signal processing
with new SCAPP Option
Currently digitizers have a bottleneck caused by having to use
either the host PC’s central processor with 8 or 16 cores or a
FPGA that is complex
to program. Spectrum In-
strumentation has solved
this problem with its new
Spectrum CUDA Access
for Parallel Processing
(SCAPP) software option,
letting users digitize,
process and analyze
electronic signals easily. SCAPP allows a CUDA-based Graphical
Processing Unit (GPU) to be used directly between any Spectrum
digitizer and the PC. The big advantage is that data is passed
directly from the digitizer to the GPU where high-speed paral-
lel processing is possible using the GPU board’s multiple (up to
5000) processing cores. That provides a significant performance
enhancement when compared to sending data directly to a PC
that may have only 8 or 16 cores. It becomes even more impor-
tant when signals are being digitized at high-speeds such as 50
MS/s, 500 MS/s or even 5 GS/s. The Spectrum approach uses a
standard off-the-shelf GPU, based on Nvidia’s CUDA Standard.
The GPU connects directly with the Spectrum digitizer card, with
no more CPU interaction, opening the huge parallel core archi-
tecture of the CUDA card for signal processing. The structure of a
CUDA graphics card fits very well as it is designed for parallel data
processing, which is exactly the same as most signal processing
jobs. For example, the processing tasks of data conversion, filter-
ing, averaging, baseline suppression, FFT window functions or
even FFTs themselves can all be easily parallelized.
Spectrum Instrumentation
www.spectrum-instrumentation.com
Ethernet data logger has 1-wire interface
for up to eight sensors
Paralan’s TCW220 Ethernet data logger comes with two analog
inputs, with 10-bit resolution and two discrete inputs. It sup-
ports a 1-wire interface for up to
eight Teracom 1-wire sensors,
ranging from carbon dioxide de-
tection, 0/20mA, AC/DC current,
temperature, humidity sensing,
etc. All monitored parameters
can be logged on set time inter-
vals and/or on alarm conditions
with enough on-board memory
for at least 36 days and up to 70,000 records (in case of data
records every minute). What’s more, the log file can be periodi-
cally uploaded on a dedicated server using HTTP Post. The
relays can be activated either remotely (WEB, SNMP, HTTP,
MODBUS TCP/IP, etc.) or locally, providing status of monitored
parameters. For every parameter, email and SNMP trap can be
sent to up to five recipients. Alarm alerts also can be sent by
HTTP Post with XML/JSON status files. The unit’s web based
configuration and control is password protected, it supports
remote firmware update.
Paralan
www.paralan.com
December 2017 News 41
 DESIGN & PRODUCTS
Capacitance-to-digital converter integrates DSP
for on-chip data post-processing
With a sampling rate up to 50kHz and resolving capacitance mea-
surements down to 8aF, ams’ PCap04 configurable capacitive
sensing
front end
gives
sensor
manufac-
turers the
ability to
balance
speed
and resolution to match their design requirements. When op-
timized for speed, the PCap04 can capture and digitize up to
50,000 sensor measurements per second. When sampling at a
slower rate to optimize for precision, the PCap04 can achieve a
measurement resolution of 8aF. The configurability of the device
also enables sensor manufacturers to trade measurement speed
off against power consumption. In low-power mode, the PCap04
draws a current as low as 4.0µA, making is suitable for battery-
free operation on harvested energy. The PCap04 IC is intended for
use with any sensing element that generates a change in capaci-
tance. Featuring six capacitance measurement channels, it is well
suited to use with sensing elements which measure parameters
such as pressure, force, position, tilt, humidity, weight, level and
many others. The PCap04’s output may be supplied as a PWM or
PDM representation of the raw measured capacitance value. The
device also features a DSP to process the sensor measurements
and convert them into digital values transmitted via an I 2C or SPI
interface. It can handle input capacitance values over a broad
range from as little as 1pF to as much as 100nF.
ams
www.ams.com
Dual channel CAN/LIN interface
can access busses
Kvaser AB’s Hybrid 2xCAN/LIN is a dual channel CAN/LIN
interface that provides a single, flexible tool for accessing both
CAN and Local Interconnect Net-
work (LIN) busses. Unlike con-
ventional solutions which require
a dedicated interface for each
physical layer, the Kvaser Hybrid
2xCAN/LIN device provides a
single tool whereby each chan-
nel can be quickly assigned to
either CAN or LIN. The interface
features a standard USB connector and two separate 9-pin D-
SUB connectors. It can be used as a dual-channel interface to
connect two high speed CAN busses to a PC or mobile com-
puter, or configured to connect to two LIN buses, or one LIN
and one CAN. Designed in an ergonomic housing, the interface
includes galvanic isolation as standard. This device is supplied
with CANlib and LINlib, free software APIs that are common to
all Kvaser hardware and enable the channels to be configured
intuitively and fast. This interface also fully supports CAN with
Flexible Data-Rate (CAN FD) to 5Mbit/s.
Kvaser AB
www.kvaser.com
42 News December 2017
DATA ACQUISITION
Lightweight IR LED-based time-of-flight
sensor sees up to 60m
With a refresh rate up to 240Hz and weighing only 9 grams
(12g with its mounting backboard), the TeraRanger Evo pro-
vides calibrated distance readings in millimetres, for a range
up to 60m. Based on infrared LED technology, the sensor has
a field of view of approximately 2º, which means it measures
distance over an area. At on meter of distance the area is ap-
proximately 3x3cm, at 10m it is approximately 30cm by 30cm,
increasing linearly with range. For many applications this is a
significant advantage and provides a more appropriate and sta-
ble data stream. Examples include drone flight over vegetation,
a robot navigating close to a slatted fence, or irregular shaped
objects being detected at high speed.The 29x29x22mm unit
(sensor + backboard) has a range resolution of 0.5cm below
14m and 2cm from 14m, with an accuracy of ±6cm or better in
the first 14m and 1.5% beyond 14m. It operates from a 5V DC
supply, drawing from 90mA to 330mA.
Terabee
www.terabee.com
Low-profile controller card has
4 gigabit PoE ports
Acceed’s 168x69mm PCIe-PoE334LP card is intended for
use as a frame grabber for demanding solutions in image
processing applications.
The controller card is
tailored for typical use
in PoE applications, for
example automatic optical
inspection (AOI), factory
automation or IP monitor-
ing, e.g. in traffic areas or
for access controls. The
card’s core is its gigabit
Ethernet controller I350-
AM44 from Intel with four RJ45 connections. All four Ethernet
interfaces support 802.3at PoE+ and each provide up to 25.5
watts’ output up to a maximum of 75W total output (restricted
due to the PCIe bus). The option to release the voltage for each
of the four connections individually in case of interruption or
error reset is provided via an API. 9.5 kB Jumbo Frames, Team-
ing and the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) are supported in
accordance with IEEE 1588. The sturdy overvoltage protection
in accordance with IEC 61000-4-5 class 2 withstands overvolt-
age of up to 1kV and 8kV ESD on the signal lines. This means
that the card can also be used outdoors, for example for video
monitoring or in production environments where overvoltage
via the network can result in serious damages.
Acceed
www.acceed.net
www.eenewseurope.com
 MISCELLANEOUS

IoT platform eases makers’ Renesas partners with Segger

entry to machine learning
On its Kickstarter page, startup Bolt IoT (with offices both in
the US and India) promises a fully integrated IoT platform that
lets you run machine
learning algorithms
on the data you
collect from your
sensors. Key Bolt
IoT platform ingredi-
ents include a WiFi
module to connect
your IoT projects, a
lifetime cloud access to collect the data and Mobile Apps, and
APIs to remotely control your appliances or to manage all your
devices on the go, and the services for notification, visualiza-
tion or machine learning (such as future data prediction and
anomaly detection for appliance monitoring). In its simplest of-
fering, the Bolt IoT platform went up for grab at only 9 US dol-
lars, but plenty of other packages are available, completing the
bare connectivity and cloud-based tools with plenty of sensors,
LEDs, analog components and actuators of all sorts together
with additional breadboards and connecting wires. There is
even an Arduino adaptor kit. With this platform, the startup
claims makers can build projects ten times faster than starting
from scratch with other kits while reducing code complexity to
about 80% thanks to inbuilt tools and functions.
Bolt IoT
www.boltiot.com
small e-paper displays integrate
controller electronics
Pervasive Displays (Pdi) is now sampling four new, small size, high
resolution, three color, TFT active matrix Electronic Paper Display
(EPD) modules with internal
timing controllers (iTC). The
new additions to the range are
the 1.54-inch (E2154FS091),
2.13-inch (E2213FS091),
2.66-inch (E2266FS092)
and 2.71-inch (E2271FS091)
EPD modules. The displays’
extremely low power consumption, clarity and ease-of-integration
make them suitable for signage and labelling in sectors such
as retail, public displays and healthcare. The EPD modules are
based around TFT active matrix three-pigment, black, white, and
red E Ink display panels. Each display’s pixel density of 103 dpi
provides crisp, clear text and graphics. The EPD module technol-
ogy provides a vibrant natural light-readable display which, due to
its bi-stable nature, requires very little power to update an image
and no power to maintain the image. Their integrated chip-on-
glass (CoG) timing controller cuts component costs and slashes
application development time by minimizing peripheral circuitry
and software programming demands. The timing controller’s one
time programmable look up table holds driving waveforms, which
control the series of electrical impulses that change the color of
the e-paper display’s pixels. Pervasive Displays’ stored driving
waveforms simplify programming, optimizing image quality.
Pervasive Displays
www.pervasivedisplays.com
on MCU’s graphical user interface
Embedded development tools provider Segger and Rene-
sas Electronics have struck a partnership whereby Renesas’
customers developing a human-
machine interface (HMI) for any
system built around its RX65N/
RX651 microcontrollers get free
access to Segger’s emWin GUI
software package. The em-
Win embedded GUI software
is compatible with single-task
and multitask environments
using a proprietary operating system, or with any commercial
RTOS such as Segger’s embOS. Designed for ultra-low power
consumption, embOS can be used in any battery-powered ap-
plication. A de-facto industrial standard, emWin can be found
in all market segments, including industrial, medical, consumer,
smart home, white goods, and automotive. The RX65N/RX651
MCUs combine an enhanced RX CPU core architecture and
120 MHz operation to achieve processing performance of
4.55 CoreMark/MHz. The MCUs include an integrated Trusted
Secure IP, enhanced, trusted flash functionality, and an HMI for
industrial and network control systems operating at the edge
of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). The RX65N/RX651
MCUs also include an embedded TFT controller and integrated
2D graphic accelerator with advanced features ideal for TFT
displays designed into IIoT edge devices or system control
applications. Selecting a display size up to WQVGA allows
its large 640 KB of on-chip RAM to be used as display frame
buffer, which saves external RAM to ensure a cost-optimized
design.
Segger
www.segger.com
5-in-1 RGB LED strip is tuneable
from 2,500 to 6,500K
LED lighting solutions provider Environmental Lights has de-
veloped a so-called 5-in-1 RGB LED strip light that packages
five LEDs into one node,
enabling lighting designers
to use bolder, more vibrant
colours and pastels, with
seamless colour blending.
The strips will be available
in two options, Tuneable
White and Amber White.
The Tuneable white pairs
an RGB diode with 2,500 K and 6,500 K white diodes, and
the Amber White pairs an RGB diode with an amber diode
and a 6,500 K white diode. UL-Listed and RoHS Certified, the
5-in-1 RGB LED Strip Light will be offered in both waterproof
and non-waterproof versions. The strips run on 24V DC and
are available in 5-meter reels, by the meter or as a sample
kit. Non-waterproof 5-in-1 Tunable White will be available for
purchase in mid-December. Non-waterproof Amber White will
follow shortly after, with the waterproof versions expected in
early 2018.
Environmental Lights
www.EnvironmentalLights.com

www.eenewseurope.com December 2017 News 43

 DESIGN & PRODUCTS
Automotive SMT large-area photodiode
for rain detection
The SFH 2200 A01 and SFH 2200 FA A01 chips from Osram
Opto Semiconductors are what the company claims to be
the world’s first SMT pack-
age for large-area photodi-
ode chips complying with
the strict demands of the
automotive industry, rated
for operation at up to 125°C.
Qualified to AEC-Q101-C, the
4.0x5.1x0.85mm photodiodes
are ideally suited for use in
rain sensors mounted behind car windshields. When a rain-
drop falls on the windshield the diodes detect a change in the
incidence of light. This change is then translated by the system
to control the windshield wipers and the rate at which they
operate. Developers at Osram Opto Semiconductors have suc-
ceeded in significantly improving the moisture sensitivity level
(MSL) to 2. This index is used to determine when the amount
of moisture in the component is high enough for damage to be
caused during soldering. Customers can solder photodiodes in
their circuit up to a year later without the possibility of damage.
This translates into extraordinary flexibility for the work pro-
cesses. Comparable products have an MSL of 4, which means,
for example, that after only 72 hours there is no guarantee that
the component can be soldered without causing damage.
Osram Opto Semiconductors
www.osram-os.com
Chipset tunnels multimedia content
through UTP cable
Chip design company Valens, known for the development of
the connectivity standard HDBaseT, has introduced a chipset
that enables tunneling of
multimedia content with
native network capabilities
via an unshielded twisted
pair (UTP) cable. This pro-
vides an architecture for
multi-format connectivity
in the car that brings many
application scenarios
within the car to an economical level As applications of the
“connected car” become more and more common, the require-
ments for network capability and bandwidth are increasing.
The HDBaseT VA6000 chipset brings the principle of integrated
multi-format connectivity with a bandwidth of several gigabits/s
to the unshielded twin wire with a length of up to 15 meters
into the car. The HDBaseT Symmetric Link bundles all possible
formats and interfaces, from audio via USB 2.0, Ethernet (up to
1 Gigabit SGMII), controllers and power. HDBaseT Automotive
offers considerable advantages for the future of in-car connec-
tivity: Support of applications with popular consumer format
(e. g. USB 3.1 and PCIe) Reduction of the total cable length
and number of cables and connectors for a slimmer and lighter
overall system Reduced total cost of ownership compared to
competing technologies.
Valens
www.valens.com
44 News December 2017
MISCELLANEOUS
1/4-inch 1.0Mpixel CMOS global shutter
image sensor for all light conditions
ON Semiconductor has introduced a new 1/4-inch, 1.0 Mega-
pixel (1280Hx800V) CMOS image sensor able to capture clean,
accurate images with no artefacts in
both bright and low light conditions.
Its high shutter efficiency and signal-
to-noise ratio minimise ghosting and
noise effects improving overall image
quality. The 3.0 μm pixel AR0144
incorporates an innovative global
shutter design that is optimised to
address the increasingly stringent
demands for accurate and fast capture in static and moving
scene applications. Available in monochrome and colour, the
sensor is ultra-compact with a choice of either 5.6x5.6mm
69-ball CSP packaging or bare die formats significantly easing
integration into space constrained designs. The AR0144 has a
high degree of flexibility with a choice of master/video, trig-
ger/single frame and auto trigger operating modes. Exposure
time is controlled via a two-wire serial interface and configura-
tion of both the window size and blanking times allows the
resolution and frame rate (up to 60 fps at full resolution) to be
adjusted to cover a particular Region of Interest (ROI). Versatil-
ity to accurately match the specific needs of applications can
be achieved by a range of customisation possibilities; these
include tuning, windowing, adjustable auto-exposure control,
auto black level correction and more.
ON Semiconductorductor
www.onsemi.com
Compact open frame AC-DC suppliers
deliver 180W and 225W
CUI’s Power Group has launched two new series of high density
open frame AC-DC power supplies. The VOF-180 and VOF-225A
series, outputting
180W and 225W of
continuous power,
have efficiencies up to
94% and high power
densities up to 30 W/
in3. Housed in low
profile packages mea-
suring 50x101x19mm,
the supplies provide space and energy saving benefits for IT
equipment, industrial, and consumer electronics applications. The
180W and 225W models deliver no-load power consumption less
than 0.5W and are certified to the UL and EN 60950-1 safety stan-
dards, while further meeting EN 55032 B limits for conducted and
radiated emissions. Both open frame series feature wide universal
input voltage ranges of 80 to 264 Vac and offer single output volt-
ages from 12 to 58 Vdc. All models carry operating temperature
ranges at full load from -40 up to +50°C with forced air cooling,
derating to 50% load at +70°C. Additional features include a 12
Vdc/500mA fan output, power factor correction, and over voltage,
over current, and short circuit protections. Calculated to the Tel-
cordia SR-332 Issue 3 specification, the two new VOF series have
an MTBF of 3.37 million hours.
CUI
www.cui.com
www.eenewseurope.com

Inertial-grade MEMS capacitive
accelerometers from ±2g to ±50g
Silicon Designs’ Model 1525 Series of commercial and inertial-
grade MEMS capacitive accelerometers incorporates a propri-
etary MEMS variable
capacitive sense
element along with
a ±4.0V differential
analog output stage,
internal temperature
sensor and integral
sense amplifier, all
housed within a minia-
ture, nitrogen damped, hermetically sealed, surface mounted J-
lead LCC-20 ceramic package. The 1525 Series features low-
power (+5 VDC, 5 mA) operation, excellent in-run bias stability,
and zero cross-coupling. Five unique full-scale ranges, of ±2 g,
±5 g, ±10 g, ±25 g, and ±50 g, are currently in production and
available for immediate customer shipment. Each MEMS accel-
erometer offers reliable performance over a standard operating
temperature range of -40° C to +85° C. Units are also relatively
insensitive to wide temperature changes and gradients. Each
device is marked with a serial number on its top and bottom
surfaces for traceability. A calibration test sheet is supplied
with each unit, showing measured bias, scale factor, linearity,
operating current, and frequency response.
Silicon Designs
www.silicondesigns.com
Single-wire serial EEPROM
enables remote identification
Microchip’s AT21CS11 is a single-wire, two-pin Electrically
Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM) device
with a 2.7 to 4.5V operational
voltage range. Designed
for identifying and authen-
ticating remote items, such
as cartridges or cables,
where space for electronic
components is limited, the
chip has 1 Kbit of EEPROM
memory (four sectors of
256 bits each), a 64-bit serial number and 128 bits for ex-
tra user-programmable tracking memory. The extra memory
allows designers to add unique identification and operating
parameters, such as consumption and usage information, in
locations that can be remote from the main electronics. Any,
or all, of the memory sections can be permanently locked by
the end-equipment manufacturer to allow tracking of products
and the identification of attachments to assist with counterfeit
prevention. The EEPROM will help customers to warranty their
product or prevent counterfeits and ensure proper continued
operation of their goods through authorised replacements. The
chip connects to a system through a Single Input/Output (SI/O)
wire that serves as both the communication and the power
supply to the part. Needing only one wire and a ground allows
makers of Fibre to the Home (FTTH) cable-ends to add critical
cable characteristic parameters to different cable types.
Microchip
www.microchip.com
www.eenewseurope.com
MISCELLANEOUS
840nm superluminescent LEDs
target medical imaging
Exalos has expanded its portfolio of 840-nm Superluminescent
Light Emitting Diodes (SLEDs) with high-power devices that
can provide more than 20mW
of power. The 840-nm SLEDs
can provide an output power of
more than 20mW from a single-
mode fibre and a have 3-dB
spectral bandwidths of more
than 50nm. They are especially
suited for medical imaging ap-
plications such as Optical Co-
herence Tomography (OCT) and fibre optic sensor applications
thanks to their high output power and large spectral band-
width. The standard product is delivered in a 14-pin Butterfly
housing with a monitor photodiode and an FC/APC connector.
All devices are based on Exalos’ proprietary design.
Exalos
www.exalos.com
Rethinking Arduino for convenient prototyping
In a KickStarter crowd-funding campaign running until Decem-
ber, UK-based French electronic designer Alexandre Pailhoux
offers to solve the issues around the shape and layout of Ar-
duino boards with a completely
re-designed Arduino-compatible
open source solution. Pailhoux
who runs the French-language
Youtube channel U=RI about DIY
electronics, has come up with
many tutorial projects based
on Arduino boards, and in this
respect, describes himself as
a fervent Arduino ambassador amongst his 20,000+ follow-
ers. But from his experience creating fun projects with Arduino
boards, he encountered a number of practical issues, such as
shields that completely hide the silkscreen and the reset push-
button, only one pin out for each signal, female headers that
can slightly hide the silkscreen. Does this sound familiar? With
a U-shaped PCB dubbed DevDuino, Pailhoux promises to add
many practical prototyping features while making the board
breadboard-friendly and capable of receiving mezzanine shields
on its bottom side using male headers. So far, the DevDuino
KickStarter has already raised €51,235, well beyond Pailhoux’
€8,000 humble goal. Designed to become a day-to-day as-
sistant in fast prototyping, sensors evaluation and debugging for
any professional electronics engineer, DevDuino is built around a
low-power Microchip 8-bit AVR RISC-based MCU with 32KB of
self-programming flash program memory, 2.5KB of SRAM, 1KB
EEPROM, USB 2.0 full-speed/low speed device, 12-channel 10-
bit A/D-converter, and JTAG interface for on-chip-debug. The
chip guarantees up to 16 MIPS throughput at 16MHz, operating
from 2.7 to 5.5V. Because the board features status LEDs for
about just everything (28 in total), from power or reset status to
analog inputs and general purpose IOs (17 of them) together
with an onboard 1.3 Inches 128x64 OLED display, all signals
status and digital data are readily visible.
DevDuino
U=RI KickStarter campaign.
December 2017 News 45
 Reader
DESIGN & PRODUCTS MISCELLANEOUS O f fer

First Qualcomm Quick Charge 4 Bundled kit speeds up your sensor

27W reference design
Diodes and Weltrend Semiconductor have a joint reference de-
sign for a 27W Class A charger that is one of the industry’s first
to support
Qual-
comm’s
Quick
Charge 4
specifica-
tion for the
fast charging of mobile devices. Quick Charge 4 is the latest
fast-charging specification from Qualcomm Technologies awith
up to 20% faster charging, up to 30% greater efficiency, and
running 5% cooler when compared to Quick Charge 3.0. Quick
Charge 4 also supports USB PD and PPS (programmable power
supply), helping to provide five hours of talk time from just five
minutes of charging. The reference design uses Diodes’ AP3302
peak-current control, quasi-resonant (QR) PWM controller, which
is optimized for high performance, low standby power and cost-
effective offline flyback conversion, and its APR345 secondary-
side MOSFET synchronous rectification driver that directly sup-
ports CCM, DCM and QR flyback topologies. Weltrend provides
the WT6615F programmable protocol decoder that supports
the latest programmable power supply specification for Quick
Charge protocols and USB PD. The reference design supports
Quick Charge 4 Class A (18-27W) and also provides optional
Quick Charge 2.0 and Quick Charge 3.0 compliance to support
the Quick Charge 4+ program. It provides support for USB PD
3.0 and PPS, including PDO at 5V and 9V, ADPO from 3V to 11V
in 20mV steps, and current from 0A to 3A in 50mA steps. Its
safety management capability provides monitoring of voltage,
current, and temperature.
Qualcomm
www.diodes.com
Automotive-qualified DLPs
specifically target HUDs
Texas Instruments’ novel automotive-qualified DLP3030-Q1
chipset and evaluation modules allow automakers and Tier-1
suppliers to bring bright, dynamic
augmented reality (AR) displays
to windshields and place critical
information within the driver’s line
of sight. The DLP3030-Q1 chipset
can be used to develop AR head-up
display (HUD) systems that project
virtual image distances (VIDs) of
7.5 meters and greater, thanks to
the unique architecture of DLP technology that enables HUD
systems to withstand the intense solar loads created when pro-
jecting long VIDs. The digital micromirror device (DMD) comes
in a 32x22mm ceramic pin grid array package (CPGA) and can
operate from -40 to 105ºC, delivering 15,000 cd/m2 brightness
with the full colour gamut. It supports large displays up to 12
by 5 degrees of field of view for HUD designs that use tradi-
tional LEDs as well as laser-based projections for holographic
film and waveguide-enabled HUDs.
Texas Instruments
www.ti.com
& edge compute projects
This month, Silver Spring Networks is giving away five starter
kits for battery sensor & edge compute, featuring an IoT Edge
Router and a Milli Shield
development kit for Arduino
boards. Retailing for €211.87,
the bundled kit approved for
use in EU countries contains a
Milli Developer Kit v1.0 for EU
and an IoT Edge Router Kit
HW3 - Europe & Middle East
with WAN mode for communi-
cation with the network and data backhaul.
The Milli 5 is a cost-effective, energy-efficient sub-GHz wire-
less communications device optimized for a wide range of
802.15.4g network. It may be integrated with battery-powered
devices such as water meters, photocells, and logistics pallet
tracking devices. It comes equipped with on-board firmware
that supports communications in an IPv6 wireless mesh
network. The full package includes a Milli 5 NIC Arduino shield
board, an Arduino M0 Pro, an antenna, a USB/TTL smart
cable, a Micro USB Cable, a Quick Start Guide, an IoT Edge
Router HW3 and a generic wireless HW3 accessory kit. Firm-
ware currently supports CoAP over UART communication with
integrated devices.
Check the reader offer online at
www.eenewseurope.com
Dynamic multiprotocol software slashes
connectivity hardware BOM
Silicon Labs has released a new dynamic multiprotocol soft-
ware for its Wireless Gecko system-on-chip (SoC) and module
portfolio, enabling simulta-
neous operation of Zigbee
and Bluetooth low energy
(LE) on a single SoC.
The multiprotocol solu-
tion enables advanced
functionality for IoT ap-
plications without incurring
the additional complexity
and hardware cost of a two-chip architecture, reducing the
wireless subsystem bill-of-materials (BOM) cost and size by up
to 40 percent, according to Silicon Labs. The dynamic multi-
protocol software allows users to commission, update, control
and monitor Zigbee mesh networks directly over Bluetooth
with smartphone apps. The software also makes it easier to
deploy scalable indoor location-based service infrastructure by
extending Zigbee-based connected lighting and building auto-
mation systems with Bluetooth beacons. By adding Bluetooth
LE features to Zigbee mesh networks, developers can create
next-generation IoT applications that are easier to deploy, use
and update. The new software is powered by highly optimized
wireless protocol stacks and an advanced radio scheduler run-
ning on Micrium OS.
Silicon Labs
www.silabs.com

46 News December 2017 www.eenewseurope.com

 DISTRIBUTION CORNER
Framos now stocking Sony Semiconductor’s Neonode’s zForce AIR Touch sensors
OLED micro displays for VR/AR now at Digi-Key
OLED Microdisplays from Sony Semiconductor Solutions are Thanks to a new distribution agreement, Neonode Inc.’s zForce
very thin, exhibit high brightness, operate at low power and are AIR Touch sensors are available for immediate shipment world-
made from a solid Si- wide through Digi-
wafer substrate. Key Electronics.
The ECX335B comes zForce AIR Touch
as a small 0.71 inch Sensors enable
diagonal active matrix touch interaction
colour OLED panel on any type of display or surface of any shape, making it easy to
module based on sin- add interactivity and differentiation to products with or without
gle crystal silicon sub- displays. The laser light based touch sensor can be integrated
strate and provides a and used in various applications. The sensor characteristics are
Full-HD RGB resolution of 1920x1080 dots. The panel provides high scanning frequency, low latency and good touch accuracy
a small and flexible light weight display solution. The display without the need for calibration. Touch functionality is provided
has a wide colour gamut with a contrast ratio of 100,000:1 and without any glass or plastic film overlay. The result is a 100% op-
an extremely short response time of microsecond order. tical transparency with consistent display image quality.
Framos GmbH Digi-Key Electronics
www.framos.com www.digikey.com

Anglia expands small pack quantities, PCB prices to rise on copper foil shortage,
including split reels says broker
Anglia Components it has expanded the offering of competi- A shortage of copper and copper foil for use by the PCB industry
tively priced, small pack quantities including split reels, across is likely to send prices higher according to Raymond Goh, COO
thousands more stock items on of Elmatica AS, a PCB broker. Goh said that the global output of
its newly improved Anglia Live copper is not increasing while demand for copper in lithium bat-
website for same day shipment. teries for automotive applications is and that as a result a current
Customers looking to order low shortage of copper foil will persist. On top of this China is planning
volumes for design and prototype to ban the importation of electronic waste, a significant source
phases can now access stock of recycled copper, Goh said. Although others will undoubtedly
items on commodity Surface continue to recyle electronic waste China’s exit would represent a
Mount parts in small quantities disruption to the process creating a temporary decrease in copper
supplied in cut tape format. Up to supply. Elmatica advises its customers to place orders early and
ten breaks can now be shown for each part, giving customers plan for longer lead times particularly leading up to and beyond
much greater choice and complete transparency of pricing. For the Chinese New Year period in February 2018. Customers should
the volume production phase, Anglia is committed to maintain- also approve more than one type of laminate, in relation to copper
ing in-depth inventory held in the UK and priced competitively. thickness and insulator material, and several PCB manufacturers.
Anglia Elmatica
www.anglia.com www.elmatica.com

Cooking-based design challenge: “Pi Chef” Raspberry PI-based displays

Raspberry Pi, in collaboration with the electronic design com- for Industry 4.0 applications
munity element14.com, has launched a new Design Challenge Distec GmbH has developed a new IoT-compliant POS-Line IoT
for designers and engineers called ‘Pi Chef.’ Element14’s monitor for industry 4.0 applications, based on the newly devel-
biggest design chal- oped Artista-IoT controller
lenge of the year, board and integrating the lat-
Pi Chef will allow est generation of the Raspber-
fifteen sponsored ry PI Compute Module (CM3).
challengers to use The POS-Line IoT monitor or
their creativity and panel PC is optimally suited
the Raspberry Pi as for cost-efficient IoT applica-
their main ingredi- tions for industry and digital
ent to improve the signage. It is easy to adapt to
culinary process. Projects should show how the Raspberry Pi individual environments, without any license costs. The Artista-IoT
can be used to advance the world of food, whether it is through controller card provides comprehensive functionality with direct
kitchen safety, food sustainability, or new preparation methods. control, 100 Mbit Ethernet, real-time clock, and special functions.
element14 Distec GmbH
www.element14.com/PiChef www.distec.de

www.eenewseurope.com December 2017 News 47

 LAST WORD

Will the power supply industry adopt

the cradle-to-cradle business model?
By Patrick Le Fèvre

D
ue to its very nature, the power supply industry has been
on a never-ending quest searching for new technologies
to improve energy efficiency, safety and miniaturization.
In doing so, an admirable pioneering spirit has developed and
grown within the power community. Moving from the plated ger-
manium rectifiers of the old days to the latest gallium nitride or
silicon carbide technology, time and time again power designers
have proven their ability to optimize efficient energy conversion
while complying with ever more demanding regulations. Step by
step - sometimes small ones, sometimes big – the industry has
created power architectures that reduced energy consumption
and in many cases has discovered technical solutions to sup-
posedly ‘unsolvable’ problems. Who, twenty years ago would
have believed that we could produce power supplies with such
high levels of efficiency that also comply with very stringent
environmental regulations? All those achievements are great
but are they enough to address the growing demand from the
market to reduce its environmental impact?
Back in 2010, Philips experimented the introduction of
Cradle to Cradle (C2C) best practices in a TV equipment, sub-
stituting all possible parts by fully recyclable ones and, a first in Fig. 1: Medical power supply OFM225 used as pilot case for
the industry, implementing several energy saving technologies,
C2C simulation (Source: Powerbox).
including a solar charging remote control. Philips was not the
only company within the electronics industry to implement C2C companies such as those in the medical industry.
best practices and industry leaders performed a number of proj- ISO 31000 is becoming an important tool, helping companies
ects aiming to adopt the C2C way of working. More recently, to develop their environmental strategy and gain better control
in March 2016, Apple announced its decision to go close the of risk, both internal and external. ISO 31000 is defined as ‘a
recycling loop with “No Primary Mining, Metals,” opening a new process that provides confidence that planned objectives will be
era in the way we will design, manufacture, distribute and use achieved within an acceptable degree of residual risk’. Moving
products. This is only the beginning, a lot of things will happen forwards, ISO 31000 will become an immense and increasingly
within our industry: are you ready to take the lead? important part of organizations.
Clearly, many power supply designers are used to dealing
Risks under control with risk management assessment (e.g. when designing a medi-
Technology has helped us to perform ‘magic’ but at the same cal power supply to comply with the IEC 60601-1-3 Edition, or
time the world has changed and environmental challenges have a power supply for demanding applications in other segments
become more complex and global, requiring all industries to re- such as in gas and oil industry), though in the coming years the
consider their ways of working, particularly with a higher regard demand from OEM customers on the power supply industry in
and responsibility for environmental and social issues. term of risk management might become more global, including
This is the latest challenge that the power industry is now environmental impact and social responsibility down to a single
facing, and despite the fact that the technologies brought to the supplier. That requires our industry to be prepared for new ways
market have helped reduce CO2 emissions, companies’ Corpo- of working and even to consider revamping some of the busi-
rate and Social Responsibility (CSR) policies aligned to interna- ness principles that we thought were engraved in stone!
tional standards will require many adjustments in the way they Are we ready for that?
are working. Not only that, but the issue of how their suppliers
will comply with such environmental regulations and manage Medical drives trends!
the related risks. Addressing a vast range of applications, from consumer to
One example is the implementation of the global risk man- defence, the power supply industry has to comply with many
agement ISO 31000 methodology. This was initially developed standards and regulations. Some of these, originally developed
for decision and policy makers within governments and large for a specific segment are now rapidly being adopted by other
corporations in order to minimize exposure to risk and to secure industries. Regulation in the medical industry is a good example
business integrity for stockholders. It is now adopted by many where a number of parameters specified in the IEC 60601-1-3
and -4 have now been adopted by industrial project managers
Patrick Le Fèvre is Powerbox’ Chief Marketing & involved in ‘Industry 4.0’ (e.g. higher isolation, lower leakage
Communication Officer - www.prbx.com current, reduced and in-control EMI and documented risk as-

48 News December 2017 www.eenewseurope.com

sessment).
Designing power supplies and
complying with safety regulations
is for sure a vital obligation, but
designing a product for the environ-
ment (DfE) is just as important. Here
again, the medical industry is setting
the scene and according to a market
study released in 2014 by Johnson
& Johnson, more than 80 percent of
the hospitals around the world are
expected to incorporate sustain-
ability into their purchasing decisions
and for many to follow ISO 31000’s
risk assessment process - including
their suppliers.
That considered, one way or
another the power supply industry
will have to comply with environmen-
tal requirements demanded by the
medical industry, and by other indus-
tries formulating the same demands Fig. 2: Cradle-to-Cradle three-phase methodology for continuous improvements strategy
on their suppliers and partners.
(Source: Powerbox)
Therefore it becomes very important
for the power supply industry to adopt a way of working that tion demonstrating that all steps have been carried out with the
includes environmental aspects at the very early stages of any highest consideration for the environment.
project. Since IEC 60601-1-9 was amended in 2013, the standard
Designing for the environment (DfE) has often been per- has been used to guide and help companies minimize their
formed on a voluntary basis or used as a marketing/sales argu- products and operational environmental impact and has been
ment, though that is now changing. For many, a product with implemented on a voluntary basis. However in 2014 the Brazil
high efficiency and low standby power may seem to be DfE by National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) took the lead,
nature, but that is not necessarily the case. DfE is much more requiring that any medical electrical equipment sold into the
than that and despite the existence of ISO 14062, the lack of a country meets the standard by December 1, 2016 with special
common definition or standard that is relevant to the electron- attention to three clauses: (4.1) Identification of Environmental
ics industry is making it difficult for customers and users to Aspects, (4.5.2) Instructions for Minimizing Environmental Im-
verify what is included under each company DfE definition and pact During Normal Use, and (4.5.3) Information for End of Life
verification. Management.
Being aware of the difficulties in assessing the different vari- So Brazil is the first country to stipulate that medical electri-
ables considered as part of DfE from their suppliers, the medical cal equipment formally complies with the standard, but other
industry and regulatory bodies realized the need to define a countries are also considering its implementation or national
standardized methodology that considers the overall life cycle, directives aimed at motivating medical equipment manufactur-
i.e. all stages, from the initial specification to end-of-life man- ers to include parts of the standard to minimize impacts, and
agement. contribute to the development of a sustainable economy that
Following several years of preparation, in 2007 as a collateral preserves the environment.
to the IEC 60601, the International Electro-technical Commis- Could the power industry adopt the cradle-to-cradle busi-
sion (IEC) published the so-called ‘dash one nine’; IEC 60601-1- ness model?
9. The objective of IEC 60601-1-9 is to reduce the environmen- As engineers we enjoy challenges, solving problems, and to
tal impact of the entire range of medical electrical equipment some extent we are used to breaking ‘unbreakable’ limits. The
(ME equipment), taking into account all stages of the product power supply history is awash with examples of ‘that which will
life cycle, namely product specification, design, manufacturing, never be possible’ eventually becoming a ‘great innovation’. In
sales, logistics, installation, commissioning, deployment, and terms of contributing to the environment, by permanently im-
end of life management. proving technical performance and reducing energy consump-
The fundamental principle of the IEC 60601-1-9 is to protect tion, we have proven our ability to contribute to the reduction
the environment and human health from hazardous substances, of our environmental impact, but we can do more. Integrating
to preserve raw materials and energy, minimize the generation the full life cycle stages and complying with standards such as
of waste, and minimize the adverse environmental impact as- ISO 60601-1-9 (or equivalent) are good, but looking forward can
sociated with waste. we rethink the way the power supply industry is working? Can
Without going into microscopic detail, the core require- we contribute even more to build a sustainable environment for
ments of IEC 60601-1-9 can be summarized as ‘identification’, future generations?
‘instruction’, and ‘end-of-life management’. During this process, As part of an internal project, a group of engineers from
manufacturers will have to perform in accordance with exist- different disciplines and companies were invited to project the
ing processes (e.g. risk management performed in compliance complete life cycle of Powerbox’s OFM225 power supply – see
with ISO 1497, life-cycle thinking, in line with ISO 14001 with figure 1. The power supply had originally been designed for high
particular emphasis on ISO 14062) and develop documenta- efficiency and ease of manufacturing, and the group was asked

www.eenewseurope.com December 2017 News 49

 News EUROPE
LAST WORD
PUBLISHER
André Rousselot
+32 27400053
andre.rousselot@electronicseurope.net

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Julien Happich
+33 169819476
julien.happich@electronicseurope.net

EDITORS
Christoph Hammerschmidt
+49 8944450209
chammerschmidt@electronicseurope.net
Peter Clarke
+44 776 786 55 93
peter.clarke@electronicseurope.net
Nick Flaherty
+44 7710 236368
nick.flaherty@electronicseurope.net
Jean-Pierre Joosting
+44 7800548133
jean-pierre.joosting@electronicseurope.net

CIRCULATION & FINANCE

Luc Desimpel
luc.desimpel@electronicseurope.net Table 1: Cradle-to-Cradle Quality categories addressed for certification (source: The
Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute/Powerbox.
ADVERTISING PRODUCTION &
REPRINTS to explore how, outside the established will contribute to the development of
Lydia Gijsegom business model, such a product/process power supplies with the lowest envi-
lydia.gijsegom@electronicseurope.net could not only have the lowest possible ronmental impact while increasing the
ART MANAGER
environmental impact, but also be able to positive ones. This may imply selecting a
Jean-Paul Speliers
optimize its positive impact (e.g. support- components supplier engaged in sustain-
ing local economy). able development, working with CEM
ACCOUNTING Taking into consideration all aspects partners to reduce water consumption
Ricardo Pinto Ferreira from initial design to end-of-life (and po- and to use renewable energies, designing
tential second life), the project followed products with end-of-life or second life
REGIONAL ADVERTISING
the cradle-to-cradle (C2C) approach and in mind.
REPRESENTATIVES
identified areas to work on in order to Adopting a C2C approach will help the
Contact information at:
minimize negative impacts and optimize power supply industry not only to provide
http://www.eenewseurope.com/content/
positive ones – see figure 2. products with best in class technology,
sales-contacts
For many it may seem an odd ap- but also to contribute to local economies
proach for a power supply company to and the development of a new way of
consider revamping a conventional way working, paving the way for future gen-
eeNews Europe of working to adopt such a model, but erations.
is published 11 times in 2017 considering that C2C takes the whole Recent climate and ecological events
by European Business Press SA lifecycle of an item into account, includ- remind us daily of how fragile our envi-
Chaussée de Louvain 533, ing sourcing and end-of-life disposal, it ronment is, and we all have to contribute
1380 Lasne, Belgium becomes synchronous with existing and to its protection. The cradle-to-cradle
forthcoming regulations, with customers, business model within the power industry
Tel: +32-2-740 00 50
european end-users and stakeholders’ expecta- is not a utopia, it will eventually become
Fax: +32-2-740 00 59 business press tions, and a way forward for the power part of our daily way of working. So to
email: info@electronics europe.net supply industry to help create a better the question: “Will the power supply
www.eenewseurope.com world. industry adopt the cradle-to-cradle busi-
VAT Registration: BE 461.357.437. Integrating the C2C five goals (shown ness model?” The answer is a resound-
in table 1) at the beginning of a project ing, “Yes!”
Company Number: 0461357437
RPM: Nivelles.
Volume 19, Issue 11 eeNews P 304128
What is Cradle to Cradle Manufacturing?
Cradle to cradle manufacturing is a style of building things that keeps the future in
It is free to qualified engineers and managers
mind. In response to the dominant model of manufacturing which uses the cheapest
involved in engineering decisions – see: goods designed for the dump (planned obsolescence model), cradle to cradle de-
http://www.eenewseurope.com/subscribe sign is a new way to think about how we make the things for our life. Cradle to cradle
© 2017 E.B.P. SA manufacturing takes the whole lifecycle of an item into account, including sourcing and
All rights reserved. P 304128 end-of-life disposal.

50 News December 2017 www.eenewseurope.com

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