ELECTRONICS INFORMATION UPDATE

A Mouser Magazine

EUROPE | JANUARY 2023

THE POWER
CHALLENGE
FEATURES
Optimizing PSU layout
Thermal efficiency for
sustainable data centres
PoE redefined
New microgrid technology
Motor drive fault diagnosis
reduces field returns
PLUS

REGULARS
Industry News:
Optimizing autonomous driving
Fusion power one step nearer
Rainforest initiative
O-RU verification
Test & Measurement
Connector Geek
Tech Tips
Dev Kit pick
NPI
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ELECTRONICS INFORMATION UPDATE
In this issue...
EIU wishes all its readers a heathy
and prosperous 2023. Our January
issue focuses on that most essential
of functions, Power, and presents
articles on: Optimizing PSU layout;
Thermal efficiency for sustainable
data centres; Redefining PoE;
New microgrid technology; and how
in-built motor drive fault diagnosis
reduces field returns.
David ‘Connector Geek’ Pike considers
power integrity, and Stuart Cording
monitors power consumption. Tech
Tips looks at how Machine Learning
can help prepare us for wildfires.
Plus the news round-up, Dev Kit Pick
and, of course, a review of the most
innovative products now in stock
at Mouser.
Published by Mouser Electronics.
For Editorial contact Nick Foot at
nick.foot@bwwcomms.com.
For Advertising, contact
Claudia Bertaccini at
claudia.bertaccini@mouser.com.
www.mouser.com
INDUSTRY NEWS PAGE 4
* Optimizing autonomous driving * Fusion power one step nearer
* Rainforest initiative * O-RU verification
MOUSER NEWS PAGE 9
* AMRs – up close and personal * Sensor design resource
* Formula E hits 280 kph
FEATURES
PoE redefined PAGE 12
New microgrid technology PAGE 16
Optimizing PSU layout PAGE 18
Thermal efficiency for sustainable data centres PAGE 22
Motor drive fault diagnosis reduces field returns PAGE 24
FOCUS
TEST & MEASUREMENT
Monitoring power PAGE 27
CONNECTOR GEEK
Power integrity PAGE 30
DEV-KIT PICK
Mark Patrick spotlights development tools from
Infineon, STM, Analog Devices, ams OSRAM and
CML Microcircuits PAGE 32
TECH TIPS
ML to reduce wildfires? PAGE 34
NEW PRODUCTS PAGE 36
Newest products now available
from Azoteq, FTDI, TDK and more
January 2023 3
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES
PlugFest verification
for ADI’s O-RU design
At the recent i14y Lab Open RAN
services and platforms PlugFest,
Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI
Solutions’ integrated solution for
conformance testing of O-RAN
Radio Units verified Analog Devices’
innovative 8T8R O-RU reference
design and development kit
according to both O-RAN and 3GPP
pre-conformance.
The Joint European O-RAN and TIP
PlugFest Fall 2022 is supported by
Deutsche Telekom and the European
Advanced Network Test Center.
Network disaggregation brings
new challenges because it requires
interoperability between network
equipment from different vendors.
The evolving O-RUs need to conform
with both 3GPP and O-RAN
standards. Fronthaul conformance
tests, defined by the O-RAN
Alliance, ensure that the emerging
O-RU designs are interoperable with
the O-RAN distributed unit (O-
DU). Analog Devices’ flexible O-RU
reference design and development
kit, the ADRV904x-RD-RUMB 8T8R
O-RU, supports time division duplex
as well as frequency division duplex
modes and multiple bands including
all FR1 frequencies from 600MHz up
to 6GHz.
It also includes a complete O-RAN
RU Split 7.2 x split for 4G & 5G NR
standards.
4 January 2023
FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS
The R&S SMM100A vector signal
generator, R&S FSVA3000 signal
and spectrum analyzer, and R&S
VSE vector signal explorer analysis
software from Rohde & Schwarz
generate, capture and analyze
RF signals, and the TM500 O-RU
Tester from VIAVI Solutions has
implemented the O-DU side of the
M-plane and C/U-plane functionality
which was necessary for the
configuration of the interface with
the O-RU and to exchange I/Q data
over the Open Fronthaul.
The test platform verified
Analog Devices’ O-RU reference
design according to the O-RAN
conformance test specifications
defined by the open fronthaul
interfaces workgroup WG4. This
includes the control and user plane
(CU-Plane) for both FDD and TDD
modes of operation.
In addition, the setup supported
test cases from 3GPP TS 38.141-
1 Base Stations (BS) conducted
conformance transmitter testing.
Joe Barry, Vice President of Wireless
Communications at Analog Devices,
said, “By pre-testing Analog Devices’
O-RU reference design platforms
for interoperability and O-RAN
conformance standards using the
Rohde & Schwarz and VIAVI test
setup, our customers can accelerate
their integration efforts with
confidence. This will help to reduce
design cycles and significantly
improve time to market.”
www.rohde-schwarz.com/
uk/solutions/test-and-
measurement/wireless-
communication/mobile-
network-infrastructure-testing/
testing-open-ran/testing-open-
ran_255230.html
SiTime wins
GSA fiscal
award
SiTime has won the Global
Semiconductor Alliance (GSA) Award
for the Best Financially Managed
Semiconductor Company for achieving
up to $1 Billion in annual sales. The
award is derived from a broad evaluation
of the financial health and performance
of public fabless and IDM semiconductor
companies, with numerous financial
metrics as well as their respective rates
of change. All companies are ranked on
each metric as well as its rate of change,
and then the overall performance
is compared to the peer universe to
determine the winner.
“We are honored to be recognized
by the global semiconductor industry
with the Best Financially Managed
Semiconductor Company Award," said
Rajesh Vashist, CEO of SiTime. "SiTime is
on an exciting journey to build an iconic
company that delivers value to all our
stakeholders. This award is dedicated
to our worldwide team, who has been
focused and courageous, delivering
precision timing solutions adopted by
20,000 customers in 300 applications
across all electronics. ”
“SiTime continues to make innovative
strides within the semiconductor
industry, as the pure-play precision
timing leader with a year-over-year
improvement and top financial
performance since its IPO. SiTime’s
growth strategy is built on a solid
foundation of financial performance
that is transforming the timing market.
This recognition is well deserved, and
we congratulate the team on all its
accomplishments," said Jodi Shelton,
President and Co-Founder of GSA.
www.sitime.com
www.mouser.com

Infineon’s 7% CAGR predicted
Rainforest for automotive semis
initiative
The preservation of rainforests is
crucial to prevent climate change, so
Infineon Technologies is extending
its collaboration with the NGO
Rainforest Connection to monitor
vulnerable regions of the earth with
advanced sensor technology.
Rainforest Connection's Guardian
devices are powered by solar
electricity, and transmit live sound
recordings from rainforests. Artificial
intelligence is used to analyze the
data to detect the sounds of threats,
such as chainsaws, with rangers being
alerted and directed to the location.
Monitoring larger areas to protect the
world’s remaining forests from being
illegally logged, over 500 Guardian
devices have been deployed in 30
countries to date, with active projects
currently in 25 countries.
The system can also be used
to monitor biodiversity, such as
the presence of primates, birds,
frogs, insects, and bats. Rainforest
Connection has collected more
than 92 million minutes of sound
recordings in recent years, including
numerous recordings of endangered
and endemic species.
The collaboration also plans to equip
a number of Guardian devices with
Infineon's XENSIV PAS CO2 sensor, to
considerably expand the database for
recording biodiversity, and eventually
sound recordings can be linked
with other information including
temperature and humidity.
Rainforest Connection has already
deployed ten of these devices in
Brazil, proving that the data that the
CO2 sensor provides can help monitor
biodiversity.
www.infineon.com
www.mouser.com
NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS FEATURES
The global automotive semiconductor
market is poised to increase at a CAGR
of 7 % from 2020-2030, primarily
attributed to a growing demand for
usage of automotive semiconductors,
according to a report from Future
Market Insights.
Deployed in sensors, 3-D mapping
technology applications, Matrix
LEDs, cameras, LiDAR, and other IC
applications are projected to grow
the market.
"Digitally equipped manufacturers are
implementing their mobile platforms
for evolving car platforms and in-car
entertainment. Technology-based
manufacturers have collaborated with
media-streaming devices and services
companies due to core capabilities and
their aggressive capital investment.
Thus, due to digital connectivity
for instance vehicle-to-vehicle
communication, the market is projected
to fuel up during the assessment
period," states the Future Market
Insights analyst.
Pipeline
Networks
to hit
$15.1Billion
According to ResearchAndMarkets.com,
the global market for Pipeline Networks
is projected to reach a revised size of
US$15.1 Billion by 2027, growing at a
CAGR of 6.2% over the analysis period
2020-2027.
Solutions are projected to record 5.9%
CAGR and reach US$9.7 Billion by the end
of the analysis period, with growth in the
Services segment readjusted to a revised
6.9% CAGR for the next 7-year period.
MOUSER NEWS NEWS
Key takeaways include the prediction
that North America will remain lucrative
throughout the assessment period
2020-2030, with the microprocessor
segment anticipated to witness an
accelerated expansion of 7.0% during
the projected period. Passenger vehicle
types are expected to continue to
lead the global market among other
segments. The growing production of
vehicles in several nations complement
market growth, increasing the
preference for best-in-class features and
greater performance.
Steady growth in the need for safety
attributes in ultra-modern vehicles will
propel market growth, as well as factors
such as continuous optimization of
component size, maintaining balance
amid quality and cost of the product,
and the rising cost of the overall vehicle.
Despite the debilitating effect of the
COVID-19 pandemic on the automotive
semiconductor market, the total year-
to-year expansion of the market is
projected to be 5%-8% through 2022.
www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/
automotive-semiconductor-market
The Pipeline Network
market in the U.S. is
estimated at US$2.7
Billion in the year
2020. China is forecast
to reach a projected
market size of US$3.2
Billion by the year 2027
trailing a CAGR of
10% over the analysis
period 2020 to 2027.
Among the other noteworthy
geographic markets are Japan and
Canada, each forecast to grow at
3% and 5.5% respectively over the
2020-2027 period. Within Europe,
Germany is forecast to grow at
approximately 3.7% CAGR.
www.researchandmarkets.com/
reports/5303918/pipeline-network-
global-strategic-business-report
January 2023 5
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES FOCUS
Optimizing autonomous driving
Renesas Electronics and Fixstars Corporation have
announced the joint development of a suite of tools that
allows optimization and fast simulation of software for
autonomous driving (AD) systems and advanced driver-
assistance systems (ADAS). Specifically designed for R-Car
SoC devices from Renesas, the tools make it possible to
rapidly develop network models with highly accurate object
recognition, taking advantage of the performance of the
R-Car. This reduces post-development rework and thereby
helps shorten development cycles.
“Renesas continues to create integrated development
environments that enable customers to adopt the ‘software-
first’ approach,” said Hirofumi Kawaguchi, Vice President of
the Automotive Software Development Division at Renesas.
“By supporting the development of deep learning models
tailored to R-Car, we help our customers build AD and
ADAS solutions, while also reducing the time to market and
development costs.”
STM & TDK pass
high water mark
TDK Corporation and STMicroelectronics have been
recognized for their leadership in corporate sustainability by
global environmental non-profit CDP, securing places on its
prestigious ‘A-List’ for focusing on Water Security. TDK has
established the TDK Environmental Charter, consisting of the
“Basic Principle on the Environment” and the “Basic Policy
on the Environment,” which makes up the entire group's
environment policy aimed at contributing to the sustainable
development of society.
CDP is a global non-profit that drives companies and
governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions,
safeguard water resources, and protect forests. CDP’s annual
environmental disclosure and scoring process is widely
recognized as the gold standard of corporate environmental
transparency. Based on data reported through CDP’s 2022
Water Security questionnaire, TDK and STMicroelectronics
are among the small number of companies that achieved an
‘A’ - out of more than 10,000 companies scored.
6 January 2023
NEW PRODUCTS
“The GENESIS for R-Car, which is a cloud-based evaluation
environment that we built jointly with Renesas, allows
engineers to evaluate and select devices earlier in the
development cycles and has already been used by many
customers,” said Satoshi Miki, CEO of Fixstars. “We will
continue to develop new technologies to accelerate machine
learning operations (MLOps) that can be used to maintain
the latest versions of software in automotive applications.”
Renesas and Fixstars tools designed to meet these needs
include a R-Car Neural Architecture Search (NAS) tool for
generating network models optimized for R-Car, which
generates deep learning network models that efficiently
utilize the CNN (convolutional neural network) accelerator,
DSP, and memory on the R-Car device. The R-Car DNN
Compiler for compiling network models for R-Car converts
optimized network models into programs that can make
full use of the performance potential of R-Car. It converts
network models into programs that can run quickly on the
CNN IP and also performs memory optimization.
The R-Car DNN Simulator for fast simulation of compiled
programs can be used to rapidly verify the operation of
programs on a PC, rather than on the actual R-Car chip. Using
this tool, developers can generate the same operation results
that would be produced by R-Car. If the recognition accuracy
of inference processing is impacted during the process of
making models more lightweight and optimizing programs,
engineers can provide immediate feedback to model
development, therefore shortening development cycles.
www.renesas.com/software-tool/tools-optimize-ai-
software-adadas-r-car-soc
Additionally, TDK secured an “A-” ranking in the climate
change category for the third year running.
Sustainability has been central to ST’s business model and
culture for over 25 years. ST continually reduces its water
footprint, while sustaining highest standards of wastewater
treatment and control before being released into the
environment. In 2021, water consumption per unit of
production was reduced by 16% compared to 2020, in line
with the 2025 target to reduce water consumption by 20%
vs 2016.
The TDK Group will leverage its innovative core technologies
and solutions to advance the development of a sustainable
society, helping to ensure that future generations worldwide
have access to clean and safe water supplies. ST continues
to reduce their water footprint in all their operations and
sites, addressing water risks throughout the supply chain and
territories wherever they operate, continuously developing a
positive impact and support for communities.
The full list of companies that made this year’s CDP A List is
available here: www.cdp.net/en/companies/companies-scores
www.mouser.com
 NEW PRODUCTS
Fusion power
one step closer
Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab in
California have achieved a breakthrough in fusion energy
generation, briefly obtaining a net energy gain in a
fusion experiment using lasers. The scientists focused
a laser on a target of fuel to fuse two light atoms into
a denser one, releasing the energy. Kimberly Budil, the
director of Lawrence Livermore, told reporters at an
Energy Department event that science and technology
hurdles mean commercialization is closer. "With concerted
effort and investment, a few decades of research on the
underlying technologies could put us in a position to build
a power plant," Budil said.
This milestone, also known as an energy break-even,
produced more energy from fusion than the laser energy
used to drive it, a first-of-its-kind feat that will provide
unprecedented capability to support NNSA’s Stockpile
Stewardship Program. The achievement will also provide
invaluable insights into the development of clean fusion
energy, which would be a game-changer for efforts to
achieve President Biden’s goal of a net-zero carbon economy.
National Ignition Facility’s laser energy is converted into x-rays
inside the hohlraum, which then compress a fuel capsule until
it implodes, creating a high temperature, high pressure plasma
in an undated photograph at Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory federal research facility in Livermore, California,
U.S. John Jett and Jake Long/Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory/Handout via REUTERS.
The experiment briefly achieved what's known as fusion
ignition by generating 3.15 megajoules of energy output
after the laser delivered 2.05 megajoules to the target,
the Energy Department said. Nuclear scientists outside the
lab said the achievement will be a major stepping stone,
but there is much more science to be done before fusion
becomes commercially viable. The electricity industry
cautiously welcomed the step, emphasizing that fusion
should not slow down efforts on building out other
alternatives like solar and wind, batteries, and nuclear fission.
https://lasers.llnl.gov/
www.mouser.com
FOCUS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS
Keysight’s Eggplant
recognized as a
leader in Continuous
Test Automation
Keysight Technologies announced that its Eggplant test
automation platform has been named a Leader in ‘The
Forrester Wave: Continuous Automation Testing Platforms,
Q4 2022’ report. Forrester evaluated 15 vendors, assessing
them on 26 criteria grouped into current offering, strategy,
and market presence. The Eggplant platform received the
top rating possible in 12 criteria, including: automation
execution/continuous testing, testing journey, reporting,
analytics and quality insights, product vision, execution
roadmap and commercial model.
Gareth Smith, GM Software Test Automation at Keysight
Technologies, said: "The quality of digital experiences now
determines business success. The recognition by Forrester
reinforces the benefits of our intelligent automation
platform that accelerates the pace of delivery and quality
of digital experiences. Our end-to-end AI-powered
solution enables customers to rapidly automate the entire
testing lifecycle across any platform, giving them a robust
and future-proofed competitive advantage.
Software test automation has become a business-critical
asset, and the use of AI can dramatically increase the
efficacy rate of test automation tools. Keysight’s Eggplant
uses AI-driven model-based testing to optimize the user
experience, speed up release cycles, and improve quality
assurance process across the software testing lifecycle.
Eggplant provides a fast, secure, and easy-to-use solution
that tests any kind of software on any platform or device.
www.keysight.com
www.eggplantsoftware.com
January 2023 7
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES
Fraunhofer
cuts shipping
accidents
Warehouses have heavy volumes of
traffic, with growing numbers of pallet
trucks, forklifts, and the like traversing
their aisles.Under these conditions,
accidents become an inevitability
even if numerous safety measures
are put in place. BASF SE, Kinotex
Sensor, and the Fraunhofer Application
Center for Optical Metrology and
Surface Technologies have developed
prototypes designed to ensure added
safety during day-to-day activities.
NSF taps Charles ‘Chuck’ Barber for
chief diversity and inclusion officer
The U.S. National Science Foundation
has appointed Charles “Chuck”
Barber to serve as chief diversity and
inclusion officer, where he will serve
as NSF’s senior advisor responsible for
leading ongoing agency programs and
initiatives related to diversity, equity,
inclusion, and accessibility. As NSF
CDIO, he will be responsible for leading
the integration and sustainability of
DEIA into the agency’s culture and
mission and all aspects of agency
operations and decision making,
including special emphasis programs,
employee resource groups and other
related functions.
Barber will also be responsible for
coordinating NSF’s work to address
the requirements of Executive Order
14035: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and
Accessibility in the Federal Workforce.
8 January 2023
FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS
A branch lab of the Fraunhofer Institute
for Material and Beam Technology
IWS, the Fraunhofer application
center’s custom-developed optical
sensor solutions hope to achieve a
future in which businesses see fewer
transportation accidents involving
industrial trucks. For this purpose,
BASF provided two pallet trucks that
integrate safety technology along with
Kinotex Sensor.
Laser pulses are emitted, producing
information about how far away
objects are, and the system has the
ability to combine information from
multiple directions in space and
continuously monitor a fan-shaped area
around the BASF pallet truck.
The signal from a second optical sensor
that responds to pressure is processed
using the information about distance
from objects, achieved thanks to the
collaboration with Kinotex. The sensor,
which is tactile, is able to stop the
vehicle and automatically move it back
slightly, preventing the operator from
becoming crushed.
Barber assumed the duties as director
of the Department of the Navy’s
diversity, equity and inclusion programs
in September 2021, where he was
responsible for the integration and
implementation of strategic DEI
initiatives into the Department of the
Navy’s culture, policies, programs and
core functions.
Prior to his appointment at the Navy,
Barber was a primary author on the
Navy’s Task Force One Navy report
that led to the Operational Navy’s DEI
Implementation Strategy.
With more than two decades of
experience, he has led a broad range
of diversity efforts, including the
development of cultural intelligence
capabilities and strategy, organizational
leadership, critical data analysis and
business transformation initiatives.
This ability to make pallet trucks
reverse in response to a proximity
sensor is a unique selling point of the
new safety technology.
BASF is already showcasing both
prototypes at specialist conferences
and trade fairs – with users and
manufacturers alike showing a keen
interest. “This technology can be used
in practically any transportation vehicle,
but it’s a particularly intriguing prospect
for autonomous vehicles,” says Dr.
Christopher Taudt, Surface Metrology
group manager at Fraunhofer AZOM –
a role whose remit involves fine-tuning
the technology behind the safety
mechanisms. “Currently, we’re working
on the idea of integrating the sensors
into a kind of retrofittable sensor strip
rather than making them a fixed part of
the vehicle.
That would allow them to be added to
vehicles of any type from a whole range
of manufacturers,” he explains.
www.iws.fraunhofer.de
Barber has
a doctorate
degree in
transformational leadership
from Bakke Graduate University
and other degrees in organizational
leadership and business management
from Columbia Southern University
and Excelsior College. He is a certified
Lean Six Sigma master black belt and
a previous guest lecturer at Harvard
Kennedy School’s Senior Executive
Fellows Program for political science
and government.
Barber is a U.S. Army veteran with
deployments to Kosovo and Iraq. A
native of Bald Knob, Arkansas, he also
starred as a sprinter on the Ouachita
Baptist University and all-army track
teams. Most recently, he was inducted
into the Arkansas track and field hall of
fame class of 2022.
www.mouser.com

Mouser partners
with DS PENSKE for
Formula E Season 9
Mouser is proud to announce its
support of the PENSKE AUTOSPORT
group and the newly formed DS
PENSKE Formula E team. For the
upcoming ninth season of the ABB FIA
Formula E World Championship, the
PENSKE AUTOSPORT group will be
teaming up with the French automotive
brand DS Automobiles. Mouser is
partnering with the DS PENSKE team
throughout the 2022–23 ABB FIA
Formula E World Championship racing
season in collaboration with TTI, Inc.
and valued manufacturers Molex and
KYOCERA AVX. Since 2015, Mouser
and Molex have partnered together to
sponsor Formula E racing.
The DS E-TENSE FE23 features a number
of significant changes compared to its
predecessor. The Gen3 cars are the
fastest-ever seen in the Formula E World
Championship, with a top speed of
280 kph, while also being 60 kg lighter
than the Gen2 car. Most important,
however, is efficiency — with more
than 40% of the energy used in a
race coming from regeneration under
braking. Crucially, the DS E-TENSE FE23
is also more powerful, putting out 350
kW compared to 250 kW in the Gen2
car, and is equipped with four-wheel
drive. A new front drivetrain adds an
extra 250 kW to the rear, doubling the
regeneration capacity to a total
of 600kW.
“We are thrilled to be a part of this
newly formed DS PENSKE Formula E
team,” said Todd McAtee, Senior Vice
President, Business Development for
Mouser Electronics.
www.mouser.com
NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS
Along with the newly formed team
comes a pair of new drivers for the
Mouser-backed entry. The drivers
for the DS PENSKE team for Season
9 will be reigning Formula E World
Champion Stoffel Vandoorne and
two-time Formula E Champion
Jean-Éric Vergne — creating one
of the strongest teams the series
has ever seen.
Coming off the back of an incredibly
successful campaign of the second-
generation car, which produced a pair
of Drivers’ and Teams’ titles between
2019 and 2020, as well as a number
of unrivaled records (10 victories,
15 pole positions and 28 podiums),
the Stellantis-backed team officially
revealed its DS E-TENSE FE23.
The third-generation, 100% electric
car, with its instantly recognizable
black and gold livery, perfectly
embodies the ethos of DS
Automobiles and is testament to
the latest technological leap.
“This new chapter of Formula E
promises to continue the evolution
of this thrilling sport and serves as
a powerful showcase for its electric
future,” said Fred Bell, Vice President
of Global Distribution for Molex.
“Mouser and Molex have been
proud supporters since the inception
of Formula E, and we wish the
DS PENSKE team a safe and
successful season.”
www.mouser.com/formula-e
FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS
Sensor
design
resource
A new resource dedicated to sensor
design guides has been launched by
Mouser. The site features a growing
collection of articles dedicated to the
intricacies of sensor design applications,
providing engineers with the information
they need to solve complicated design
challenges. Readers can access the
resource site by visiting https://resources.
mouser.com/sensor-design-guides.
Advances in sensor design have
supported innovative new devices
in consumer electronics, medical
applications, and automotive
manufacturing. The new sensor design
guide resource site offers a range of rich,
in-depth articles on topics including time-
of-flight sensors, MEMS microphones,
gyroscopes, and accelerometers.
In an article on board-mounted
temperature sensors, embedded systems
expert Ishmael Chigumira explores the
technological innovations that have
made it possible for temperature sensors
to be integrated in a PCB instead of
located off-board. The article defines
the different types of temperature
sensors, explains how to interpret
board-mounted sensors, and prescribes
several best practices for integration and
implementation.
In ‘The do’s and don’ts of VOC sensors’,
electronic engineer Robin Mitchell
provides a detailed introduction to
the different types of sensors used to
measure volatile organic compounds
(VOCs). The article also explores the
various applications for VOC sensors and
offers tips on how to choose the right
solution for each potential design.
https://resources.mouser.com/
sensor-design-guides
January 2023 9
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS

Mouser sweeps AMRs – up close and personal

graphic awards
Mouser was a big winner at the 59th
annual Graphic Design USA American
Graphic Design Awards™. From more
than 10,000 entries, Mouser’s Creative
Design Team was recognized in five
important areas.
“Congratulations to our Creative Design
Team, who are among the best in the
industry,” said Kevin Hess, Senior Vice
President of Marketing. “Having the
best products and superior service is
great, but it’s also important to be able
to display our products and services
visually in new and interesting ways and
in different media. This is where our
Creative Design Team excels.”
Going into its 60th year of presenting
news, trends and ideas, Graphic Design
USA is the premier showcase for
outstanding work by creatives and their
departments. Their 59th-anniversary
showcase of roughly 400 projects
reflects the many and varied ways in
which designers advance the mission
of and build value for their companies,
institutions, brands, products, services
and causes.
The winning entries and categories are:
• Discover, Design, Develop;
Motion/Animation
• Selection in Stock; Motion/
Animation
• By The Numbers Infographic;
Online Design
• Company History Installation and
Exhibition; Signs/Environmental
Design
• Methods AI eBook; Publications
The final 2022 episode of Mouser’s
award-winning Empowering
Innovation Together™ program
delves into recent developments in
autonomous mobile robots (AMRs),
which have led to new enhancements
and cutting-edge applications across a
number of industries.
Although AMRs have been around
since the 1990s, they have since
received a technological tune-up
thanks to artificial intelligence,
computer vision systems, and 5G
communications. These technologically
advanced robots have provided
new levels of flexibility, autonomy
and usefulness in manufacturing,
warehousing and logistics, overall
maximizing efficiencies.
“Through increasingly advanced
technologies, AMRs add an
unprecedented layer of efficiency and
productivity to our factories and supply
chains,” says Glenn Smith, President
and CEO of Mouser Electronics.
“We hope the EIT audience will gain
a better understanding of how AMRs
can streamline operations in a safe,
intelligent way.”
In this installment, audiences can
listen to The Tech Between Us
podcast, watch a new Then, Now &
Next video, and read through other
exclusive content to gain deeper
insight into the applications and
technologies that power and support
AMRs, as well as business use cases.
Raymond Yin, Director of Technical
Content at Mouser Electronics and
host of The Tech Between Us, sits
down with Niamh Donnelly, co-
founder and CRO of Akara Robotics,
for a discussion about the new
generation of AMRs. “Raymond and
I had a great discussion about AMRs
and the hardware advancements
and safety measures that make
them a great addition to a variety of
facilities,” says Donnelly. “The latest
designs have grown in sophistication
to match the intricacies of the latest
technology, creating collaborative
robots that will be beneficial for years
to come.”
The podcast is available on the
Mouser website and on all major
streaming platforms. Established
in 2015, Mouser’s Empowering
Innovation Together program is
one of the electronic component
industry’s most recognized programs.
www.mouser.com/empowering-
innovation

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10 January 2023 www.mouser.com

 NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS

Download cellular
IoT webinar free
Power
Mouser and Microchip Technology recently recorded a new
webinar entitled ‘Cellular IoT Applications’.
Conversion
Microchip provides total system solutions for creating
smart, connected, secure Internet of Things (IoT) designs
with product offerings that simplify the development of
Components
innovative wired and wireless systems. In the webinar,
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applications by covering application development, security
management and cloud connectivity. Furthermore, Improve conversion
efficiency, minimize
Microchip also demonstrate a reference application step-
by-step and will grant participants access to several more
tutorials and application examples to leverage.

The webinar covers: power loss, and

lower energy costs.
• Edge-node design and cellular IoT applications
• Ways to quickly and easily cloud-enable an
embedded design
• How to access, deploy and modify reference design
examples
• The AVR-IoT Cellular Mini development board

The AVR-IoT Cellular Mini development board is a complete

platform that can be used to evaluate and develop IoT
solutions. It features the AVR128DB48 AVR® microcontroller,
ATECC608B secure element, and the Sequans Monarch
2 GM02S cellular module. Sensors and actuators can be
added using the onboard Adafruit Feather compatible edge
connector or Qwiic® I2C connector. Also included with the
development board (which supports Amazon Web Services
and Arduino) is a SIM card from Truphone.

https://emea.info.mouser.com/microchip-cellulariot-
webinar/

www.mouser.com January 2023 11

NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES
Power
Management
- SPE Redefines PoE
By Bill Schweber for Mouser Electronics
Power over Ethernet (PoE) is just what
the name implies: a way to send
substantial and valuable amounts of
power over the same copper cabling
that carries the Ethernet data. It
enables remote, Internet-addressable
devices to receive their operating
power and leverage the benefits of
Ethernet connectivity. This dual power/
data capability is useful for Internet
of Things (IoT) applications, such as
sensors and HVAC controllers, building
security systems (cameras, elevators, fire
panels, smart locks, and entry/exit), and
essential office functions (enhanced area
lighting, even basic voice telephones).
PoE is getting an increasing amount
of attention and design-in from smart
building and industrial-automation
engineers for many reasons, three of
which stand out:
• First, with the formal approval of the
third-generation standard for PoE, it
can supply a substantial amount of
power – approximately 100W – to
support a wide range of applications,
peripheral devices, and loads.
• Second, the approval of PoE's single-
pair Ethernet (SPE) standard means
that PoE no longer requires more
costly multipair cabling and somewhat
fragile connectors and now is a
good installation, performance, and
cost match for smart buildings and
industrial applications.
• Third, component vendors have
introduced the needed ICs and passive
components, supported with validated
reference designs and embedded
firmware so that OEMs can design
and manufacture the required PoE
interface systems and circuitry.
12 January 2023
FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS
Note that PoE is not unique in
combining power and data over a
single wire or cable, as there’s a long
history of engineers doing similar
combinations in other settings. For
example, USB has become both a
data bus bit and a DC power bus with
complicated signaling, handshaking,
and sequencing. As a result, USB, in its
latest iteration, can provide significant
power to a load, independent of its
high-speed data function.
In the pre-digital days, engineers
devised a way to send power to the
preamplifier built into many types of
microphones by using the same cable
which carried the audio signal back to
the main amplifier, in a technique called
“phantom power.” Similarly, the DC
power for the low noise block (LNB) RF
preamplifier mounted on an outdoor
small-aperture dish antenna is provided
via the same coaxial cable, which sends
the boosted RF signal back to the
system’s RF front end.
What are the benefits of using PoE
for smart buildings and industrial
applications? It comes down to basics:
it saves on wiring cost and complexity,
it reduces the number of distinct
“networks” needed (one for data, one
for power); it is a safe, low voltage
(48VDC nominal); it does not require
an electrician to install or have to
meet building codes for higher-voltage
wiring, and it eases the path to widely
dispersed devices in a residential or
commercial building or plant.
It’s a better alternative to installing
many local AC/DC supplies and their
AC wiring, batteries alone, or extra
DC-only power runs.
Standards Define the PoE
World
Key to the viability of PoE as Ethernet
connectivity and power delivery link
are standards defined by the Institute
of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
(IEEE). The first iteration of PoE,
designated IEEE 802.3af, could deliver
only about 15W. At the same time, a
subsequent version a few years later,
informally called PoE+ but formally
IEEE 802.3at, increased this to 25W.
The most recent version, known as
PoE++ before being formalized as IEEE
802.3bt, increased the power to 90W.
Each step up requires a somewhat
more complicated type and cable-pair
arrangement for the multipair cable
(Cat 3, Cat 5, Cat 5e, or Cat 6 A) and
associated RJ-45 connector and its
wiring. These three PoE standards
are upward compatible, so the
lower-power connections and loads
can be used on the higher-power
cabling and connections; downward
power/connector compatibility is not
supported.
A recently approved PoE standard
IEEE 802.3cg-2019 (IEC 63171-6) for
SPE is even more promising for smart
buildings of all types. This dramatically
simplifies and reduces the cost of
the cabling and connectors while
supporting data rates up to 10Mbps
and is adequate for many dispersed or
outlying applications.
PoE: Internally
Sophisticated
It’s one thing to say that it is a good
idea to get double duty from a single
copper interconnect.
www.mouser.com

It’s another thing to figure out
how to do it while not corrupting
or slowing down the data, while
simultaneously ensuring the integrity
and performance of the PoE system in
the event of a problem, fault, or even
a short circuit at one of the powered
devices. Imposing DC power onto the
copper wires at a source end and then
having a load device extract it at the
other end requires a complicated and
sophisticated arrangement, especially
as this must be transparent to the user
who is connecting and disconnecting
PoE-enabled devices.
For PoE, the three essential
components needed are:
1 The equipment that delivers power
to the cable (often referred to as a
PSE for power sourcing equipment).
The PSE may either be an "Endspan”
(a PoE switch) or a “Midspan” (a PoE
power injector) located along the
Ethernet cable, closer to the loads.
2 The device that receives its power
from the cable (the powered device,
or PD). Typical PDs include IP-
enabled cameras, wireless access
points, lighting units, security
devices, and HVAC controllers, for
example.
3 The cable itself includes various
"CAT-X” designations to support
the different PoE standards.
The PSE would usually be a PoE-
enabled network switch or a midspan
power injector, patched in to add PoE
capability to a non-PoE network switch
channel, or similar (Figure 1).
Figure 1: A PoE network switch can deliver power to a PD, such as an IP camera, over its data cable;A midspan PSE can be used
to add PoE capability to standard network switch channels. (Image source: Veracity/UK)
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NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS
Table 1: PSE and PD power limits by class (Image source: Veracity/UK)
This high-level diagram is just that: a
“big-picture” overview. A PoE system
requires a significant amount of
circuitry (ICs and passive components)
within the PSE and suitable CAT cabling
to make it all look like a "plug and
play" arrangement to someone who
plugs in a PoE-enabled powered device
and expects it to function. This circuitry
must integrate the supplied DC power
with the Ethernet data signals at the
PSE and then separate them for use at
the PD (Figure 2).
Figure 2: A PoE link requires considerable support circuitry in
addition to the physical-layer IC (PHY including transformers
to combine data and power at the PSE and split them at the
PD, along with bridges to rectify the AC power into the DC
rails needed. (Image source: Veracity/UK)
A complicated back-and-forth
identification, query, and response
protocol are needed between the PD
and the PSE to initiate, manage, and
maintain the PoE link. It takes many
state and timing diagrams to fully
describe the many normal operating
sequences and accommodate all the
“abnormal” but possible conditions.
FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS
These sequences inform the PSE and
the PD of the system status, their
status, what the PD needs, what the
PSE can provide, and checks for out-of-
bounds conditions.
The status and power needs of the PD
must be considered in the larger PoE
system context. For this reason, the
PoE specification includes additional
features for efficiency, reliability, and
safety, and “classification” is one of
these features. As part of the start-up
process, when a PoE connection is
made, the PD can “advertise” its power
class to indicate how much power it
requires to operate to ensure the PSE
can provide it. There are five power
classes in total, but only three different
bands of power level into which
devices can fall (Table 1). The difference
between what the PSE can deliver in
each classification and what the PD
needs to operate is due to unavoidable
I2R power loss in the cable.
Fortunately, the PoE system designer
does not need to delve into the PoE
operational details as ICs are now
available that embed and implement
them. These ICs manage the power
flow, sequencing, protocol, and
other considerations which need to
be executed and monitored for an
effective and reliable PoE power and
data link.
For example, the Analog Devices
ADIN1110 is an ultralow power, single
port 10BASE-T1L transceiver design
for industrial Ethernet applications
(Figure 3). It is compliant with the IEEE
802.3cg-2019 Ethernet standard for
long reach, 10Mbps SPE. This IC is
designed for edge node sensors and
field instruments deployed in building,
factor, and process automation. It
operates from a single power supply
rail of 1.8V or 3.3V and is available in a
40-lead, 6mm × 6mm lead frame chip
package (LFCSP).
January 2023 13
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES
Figure 3: The Analog Devices ADIN1110 MAC-PHY is
compliant with the IEEE 802.3cg-2019 Ethernet standard for
long reach, 10Mbps single pair Ethernet, and is designed
for edge node sensors and field instruments. (Image source:
Analog Devices)
What about SPE?
SPE provides new options for
implementing a PoE system, as it is a
better match to the needs of smart
buildings. It has advantages in this
setting compared to traditional Ethernet
and the various CAT cables. Among
these are thinner, less costly cables and
connectors that are easier to manage
and pull, reduced space requirements
and lower weight, smaller bending radii
for easier installation in cramped areas,
and reduced use of resources such as
copper and insulation.
SPE is not designed to replace the
existing Ethernet infrastructure. At
present, the maximum speed for SPE
is 10Mbps (longer distance) to 1Gbit/
sec (shorter distance) and only up to
a distance of forty meters. In contrast,
8-wire Ethernet can extend up to one
hundred meters at ten and more Gbit/
sec (Figure 4).
Figure 4: SPE greatly reduces the Ethernet cabling BOM and
installation costs, but with a reduction in maximum available
throughput and data rate. (Image source: HARTING)
[Note: SPE was initially developed to
meet the demands of the automotive
industry — smaller, lighter cables and
connectors for transmitting data from
the numerous sensors involved in
adaptive cruise control, parking assist,
autonomous driving, and other onboard
systems. The lower data rate, tightly
constrained, and shorter distances of
automotive applications were a good fit
for early SPE developments.]
14 January 2023
FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS
Unlike conventional Ethernet, where
the individual user ports radiate from a
central switch, SPE supports a daisy-
chain topology. Adding more ports to
a conventional Ethernet arrangement
requires more ports and a larger switch,
while maximum latency – the time lag
and uncertainty for data between the
port and the switch – is limited and
known in advance.
In contrast, daisy-chaining allows for
easy expansion to handle more ports,
but latency increases as the chain are
extended, especially for ports and
devices far along the chain (Figure 5).
However, for typical SPE applications,
the latency is still short enough, while
the connectivity benefits are worth it.
The ability to easily extend the link to
new ports via this topology is a good fit
with SPE's target installations.
Figure 5: While “conventional” Ethernet requires that each
port be connected directly to a switch (right), SPE allows
for daisy-chain interconnection and extension to new ports.
(Image source: Texas Instruments)
SPE does not define a single solution
with the same structure for every
application (automotive versus smart
building versus industrial). Instead, it
is a foundation technology in which
different combinations of parts can
be selected and integrated to create
an optimized solution for what is also
called Power over Data Line (PoDL).
Different SPE protocols with different
transmission speeds, link lengths, and
topologies can be selected for varying
applications.
These are SPE variations defined by
10BASE-T1S, 10BASE-T1L, 100BASE-T1,
and 1000BASE-T1 standards.
Another part of what makes SPE
attractive for its target applications
is the rugged, low-cost connector
options. For example, HARTING T1
connectors for building cabling have
an SPE mating face as defined by IEC
63171-1 (Figure 6). These connectors
have a MICE rating (for Mechanical
robustness, Ingress IP degree, Climatic
resistance, and Electromagnetic safety)
of M1I1C1E1, which is suitable for the
environment of an office building.
Figure 6: The SPE connector pair shows the simple, rugged
implementation which the two-wire standard supports.
(Image source: HARTING)
Filling out the PoE BOM
It takes much more than sophisticated
ICs and obvious connectors to make
PoE possible: it also takes passive
components of many types.
It's somewhat ironic that a transformer
– among the most "ancient" of
electrical components – is needed for
PoE. These transformers superimpose
the high-frequency Ethernet data signal
onto the same cable, injecting the PoE
DC power (typically 48VDC) at the PSE
end, while complimentary transformers
at the PD end separate the Ethernet
data from the DC power and direct the
power to the PD circuitry.
One example is the Bourns SM13143EL,
a dual-port LAN 10/100/1000 Base-T
PoE++ transformer for all classes
of Ethernet applications (Figure 7).
It contains eight 1:1 transformers
that meet all relevant ratings, with a
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 NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS

there is an integral ground wire provided

which can be connected to a ground for
those systems that require a single-point
ground connection.
The devices are compatible with
100Mbps data and 48V POE systems,
with protection on all eight PoE pins
(7.5V clamping on data pins 1, 2, 3, and
6 plus 70V clamping on POE pins 4, 5,
7, and 8).
Figure 7: This multichannel transformer provides critical isolation and coupling for eight PoE wire pairs. (Image source: Bourns, Inc.)

footprint of about 11 × 28mm and Network Lightning/Surge Protector

Conclusion
8mm height. from Laird Connectivity (Figure 8).
Implementing a PoE design and
providing a PSE or PD circuit for PoE
As they couple power and signal, the
The all-metal cast enclosure and shielded is complex. Fortunately, the needed
transformers also provide galvanic
RJ-45 connectors provide good EMI noise components and support are now
(ohmic) isolation, so problems or
suppression with integral mounting feet widely available, thus allowing smart-
failures in the port do not induce
that can be screwed to a metal chassis building and industrial applications to
a ripple effect of problems in the
to provide proper; as an alternative, take advantage of the benefits of PoE.
network. For example, this can include
a PD failure or even a malicious act if
PoE saves on wiring costs due to the
someone shorts out the connector with
lower voltage and single unified data/
a paper clip.
power cable, but the installation is
physically more manageable and can be
The PoE standards and good
done by non-electricians.
engineering practice also require
protection against line surges due to
For dispersed, lower-throughout
lightning or nearby motors starting/
applications, the SPE version of PoE
stopping. One external protection
Figure 8: PoE standards also call for protecting the system provides an even more cost-effective
device (which is separate from used and circuitry against lightning and other voltage surges; this
way to get many of the benefits of PoE,
within the PSE or PD for other types protection can be provided using this RJ-45-connector unit.
(Image source: Laird Connectivity) along with new options for topology
of protection) is the ESP-100-POE
and connectors.

Alcoswitch
MRSS Miniature
Rotary Switches

www.mouser.com January 2023 15

NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES
How New
Technology
Benefits
Microgrids
By Paul Lee for Mouser Electronics
Microgrids have been around for a
long time in some form or another.
The farmer that fired up his diesel
generator in the early 20th century to
keep his irrigation pumps and house
lights working when the utility supply
failed might not have recognized the
term. Still, he was setting up what is
now the definition of a microgrid–a
group of locally interconnected loads
and an energy source that can operate
independently of the national grid.
Marketers have had fun with the
nomenclature as usual, with macro-
used for the main grid, milli- for
larger installations or collections of
independent grids, micro- and even
nano-grids that might be no more
than a backpack-mounted solar panel
topping up your cellphone on a hike.
The microgrid is an area of intense
interest today, typically powering an
installation such as a farm, remote
factory, hospital, or military site.
With a global market projected to be
around $47.4 billion (USD) in 2025 at a
compound annual growth rate of more
than 10 percent, a microgrid can be
fully independent or islanded, a backup
for the main grid on failure or even
a contributor to the main grid when
locally-sourced energy is in excess of
local needs.
The drivers for the use of microgrids are
power for remote locations where no
utility infrastructure is present, resilience
against main grid failure, and flexibility
to use local renewable energy sources
such as hydro, solar, wind, ground-
sourced, and combined heat and power
(CHP), for a smaller environmental
impact and reduced costs.
16 January 2023
FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS
Security is also a growing concern,
especially for critical installations such
as data centers, hospitals, and military
bases where cyberattacks on the main
utility supply are real possibilities. Here,
we’ll review types of microgrids and
power-conversion arrangements and
the benefits of each.
A Smart Microgrid Is Key
to Effectiveness
A domestic microgrid arrangement
might look like Figure 1, with fixed
solar panels replacing or contributing
to utility power via an inverter
synchronized to the main grid. A
high-capacity lithium-ion or lithium-
iron-phosphate battery might be kept
charged and available to provide power
after dark or backup if the main power
fails. Alongside typical household
loads such as lighting, heating, and
kitchen/utility equipment, electric
vehicle recharging is increasingly in the
mix. Ideally, it should be from a local
renewable energy source such as solar
to retain its green credentials.
Figure 2: A typical microgrid arrangement in a factory environment. (Image reproduced with the permission of Rolls-Royce
Power Systems AG)
Figure 1: A typical domestic microgrid arrangement.
(Source: Mouser Electronics)
Smart control, personalizing the
microgrid installation, squeezes
the maximum efficiency from solar
panels while scheduling loads for
minimum impact. Excess energy can be
automatically returned to the main grid,
either from the solar panels or even
from the EV battery, for utility load
balancing in return for monetary credit.
A factory would have a more complex
microgrid arrangement, perhaps with
multiple energy sources, as in Figure 2.
The cost-benefit analysis for a factory
environment is more complex than for
a domestic situation. Lost production
during a blackout is a real cost, and extra
productivity and lower energy costs from
a smart environment are real benefits.
www.mouser.com

The diagram shows how various
renewable energy sources such as
wind and solar can be coupled with
traditional generator sets to provide
complete independence in electrical
power and heating when demanded,
all under intelligent control with
wireless communication.
The system can integrate with the
Industry 4.0 or Industrial Internet of
Things (IIoT) concept. This combines
physical production and operations
with smart digital technology, machine
learning, and big data to create a
more holistic and better-connected
ecosystem for companies that focus
on manufacturing and supply chain
management. Careful consideration
must be given both in domestic and
industrial applications to the microgrid
architecture, not just for functionality
but also for electrical efficiency, to
achieve the hoped-for energy savings.
Power Conversion
Efficiency Critical to
Payback
Even in the relatively simple domestic
installation of Figure 1, electronic
power conversion has multiple stages:
The solar panels’ output DC must
be converted to the storage battery
voltage using an intelligent DC-DC
converter with Maximum Power Point
Tracking (MPPT) to extract maximum
energy, an inverter transforms the
battery DC to AC line voltage, a battery
charger ensures that the battery is
maintained at full capacity when
solar input is not available, and a
bidirectional converter charges the EV
battery from AC but transfers power
in reverse, typically at night. Other
possible power sources have their
power conversion requirements, such
as a wind turbine with an induction
generator that outputs variable
frequency and amplitude AC, converted
into utility-compatible levels. In an
industrial environment, of course,
complexity is much higher.
All these power conversion stages
lose some energy as heat representing
money lost and longer payback times,
so efficiency is a major concern. In
some situations, heat can be recovered,
perhaps for community use.
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NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS
The opportunities are limited, so it is
more likely that even more energy and
cost are expended in cooling systems to
extract the heat and avoid stress on the
power conversion electronics.
New Semiconductors
Control Cost, Size,
Savings
The various power conversion stages
in a microgrid all use switched-mode
techniques–semiconductor switches
chop the input DC or rectified AC
voltage at high frequency, followed
by a relatively small transformer to
scale the voltage back to DC through
rectifiers, or to AC through filters.
Regulation of outputs to a constant
DC or 50/60Hz AC is achieved by
Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) of the
semiconductor switching action.
At higher powers, choice of
semiconductor switch has been limited
until recently to insulated-gate bipolar
transistors (IGBTs), which must be
switched relatively slowly for acceptable
efficiency: IGBTs dissipate no power
when they are off and have some
conduction loss when on, but as they
transition between the two states, they
can take transient power that can be
measured in kilowatts (Figure 3).
The more transitions per second
(frequency), the higher the dissipation.
For this reason, switching frequencies
have been a few tens of kHz at most,
and this has implications down the
line; transformers and other magnetic
components such as filters have to be
large and are consequently costly.
Figure 3: Power dissipation can be high during
semiconductor switch transitions. (Source: Mouser
Electronics)
Increasing switching frequency has
FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS
been a design goal for power converter
designers for the size and cost savings
that follow, so other semiconductor
devices have been considered that
show lower switching losses, with
MOSFETs, the main contender.
However, these devices have limited
power ratings, and conduction losses
can be higher than IGBTs–MOSFETs
exhibit an on-resistance that dissipates
power with the square of the current
value. IGBTs exhibit a relatively
constant voltage drop, so dissipation is
approximately proportional to current.
Therefore, at high currents, MOSFETs
can be lossy, and the benefits of higher
frequency operation negated when
the energy lost and the larger, costlier
cooling needed is factored-in.
A new generation of switches, wide
band-gap (WBG) semiconductors,
has become available, showing a
step improvement in switching speed
without compromising efficiency. The
devices, fabricated in silicon carbide
(SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), can
switch so fast than traditional silicon
that any transient dissipation is minimal.
Combined with very low on-resistances
and inherent high-temperature
capability, equipment designed with
WBG technology is smaller and more
efficient, not just because of the
devices themselves but also because
the higher switching frequency enables
smaller associated components such
as transformers and filters. This all
reads directly across to low acquisition
and running costs, quick payback,
and a smaller environmental footprint.
Companies such as Wolfspeed (CREE),
GaN Systems, UnitedSiC, Transphorm,
and many others are active in the
WBG semiconductor field with devices
available from Mouser Electronics.
Conclusion
Microgrids have the benefits of
independence, resilience, security, and
ability to maximize local renewables.
Microgrids can power an installation
such as a farm, remote factory,
hospital, or military site. Their versatility
and continued development, are
reasons for the microgrid industry’s
growth to reach around $47.4 billion
(USD) by 2025.
January 2023 17
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS

How to Optimize
Switching Power Supply
Layout by Minimizing
Hot Loop PCB ESRs
and ESLs
By Jingjing Sun, Product Applications Senior Engineer, Ling Jiang, Product Applications
Manager, and Henry Zhang, Product Applications Senior Director all with Analog Devices

Answer:
Question:

Can you optimize the Sure—minimizing Hot Loop

efficiency of a switching PCB ESRs and ESLs is
power supply? an important method for
optimizing efficiency.

Introduction Figure 1 shows a synchronous buck step-down DC-to-DC

For power converters, a Hot Loop PCB layout with minimum
parasitic parameters can improve the power efficiency,
lower the voltage ringing, and reduce the electromagnetic
interference (EMI). This article discusses the optimization of
Hot Loop layout design by minimizing the PCB equivalent
series resistances (ESRs) and equivalent series
inductances (ESLs).
converter schematic.
The Hot Loop is formed by MOSFETs M1 and M2 and
the decoupling capacitor CIN. The switching actions of
M1 and M2 cause HF di/dt and dv/dt noise. CIN provides
a low impedance path to bypass the HF noisy content.
However, parasitic impedance (ESRs, ESLs) exists within the
components’ packages and along the Hot Loop PCB traces.

This article investigates and compares impact factors
including decoupling capacitor positions, power FET sizes and
positions, and via placements. Experiments are conducted to
verify the analysis, and effective methods of minimizing the
PCB ESRs and ESLs are summarized.
The high di/dt noise through ESLs causes HF ringing,
furthermore, resulting in EMI. The energy stored in ESL is
dissipated on ESRs, leading to extra power loss. Therefore,
the Hot Loop PCB ESRs and ESLs should be minimized to
reduce the HF ringing and improve efficiency.

Hot Loop and PCB Layout Parasitic

Parameters

The Hot Loop of a switching-mode power converter is

defined as the critical high frequency (HF) AC current loop
formed by the HF capacitor and adjacent power FETs. It is
the most critical part of the power stage PCB layout because
it contains high dv/dt and di/dt noisy content. A poorly
designed Hot Loop layout suffers from a high level of PCB
parasitic parameters, including the ESL, ESR, and equivalent
parallel capacitance (EPC), which have a significant impact on
the power converter’s efficiency, switching performance,
and EMI performance.
Figure 1. A buck converter with Hot Loop ESRs and ESLs.

18 January 2023 www.mouser.com

 NEW PRODUCTS
An accurate extraction of the Hot Loop ESRs and ESLs helps
predict the switching performance and improve the Hot Loop
design. Both components’ package and PCB traces contribute
to the total loop parasitic parameters. This work mainly
focuses on the PCB layout design. There are tools for users
to extract the PCB parasitic parameters, such as Ansys Q3D,
FastHenry/FastCap, StarRC, etc. Commercial tools like Ansys
Q3D provide accurate simulation but are usually expensive.
FastHenry/FastCap is a free tool based on partial element
equivalent circuits (PEEC) numerical modeling1 and can provide
flexible simulation through programming to explore different
layout designs, though additional coding is required.
The effectiveness and accuracy of the parasitic parameter
extraction in FastHenry/FastCap have been verified and
compared to Ansys Q3D with consistent results.2,3 In this
article, FastHenry is used as a cost-efficient tool to extract
PCB ESRs and ESLs.
Hot Loop PCB ESR and ESL vs.
Decoupling Capacitor Position
In this section, the impacts of CIN position are investigated
based on ADI’s LTM4638 µModule® regulator demo board
DC2665A-B.
Figure 2. Vertical Hot Loop 1: (a) top view and (b) side view.
Figure 3. Vertical Hot Loop 2: (a) top view and (b) side view.
Figure 4. Horizontal Hot Loop: (a) top view and (b) side view.
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FOCUS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS
ESR (ESR1 + ESR 2 ) ESL (ESL1 + ESL 2 )
Hot Loop
at 600kHz (mΩ) at 200MHz (nH)
Vertical Hot Loop 1 0.7 0.54
Vertical Hot Loop 2 2.5 1.17
Horizontal Hot Loop 3.3 0.84
Table 1. Extracted PCB ESRs and ESLs in Different Hot Loops by Using FastHenry
The LTM4638 is an integrated 20VIN, 15A step-down buck
converter module in a tiny 6.25mm × 6.25mm × 5.02mm BGA
package. It offers high power density, fast transient response,
and high efficiency. The module integrates a small HF ceramic
CIN inside, though it is not sufficient yet, limited by the module
package size. Figures 2 to 4 illustrate three different Hot Loops
on the demo board with additional external CIN.
The first one is the vertical Hot Loop 1 (Figure 2), where
CIN1 is placed on the bottom layer just beneath the
μModule regulator. The µModule VIN and GND BGA pins
are connected to CIN1 directly through the vias. These
connections provide the shortest Hot Loop path on the
demo board.
The second Hot Loop is the vertical Hot Loop 2 (Figure 3),
where CIN2 is still placed on the bottom layer, but moved to
the side area of the μModule regulator. As a result, an extra
PCB trace is added to the Hot Loop and larger ESL and ESR
are expected compared to vertical Hot Loop 1. The third Hot
Loop option is the horizontal Hot Loop (Figure 4), where CIN3
is placed on the top layer close to the μModule regulator.
The µModule VIN and GND pins are connected to CIN3
through the top layer copper without going through vias.
Nevertheless, the VIN copper width on the top layer is
limited by the other pinout, resulting in an increased loop
impedance compared to that of vertical Hot Loop 1. Table 1
compares the extracted PCB ESRs and ESLs of the Hot Loops
by FastHenry. As expected, the vertical Hot Loop 1 has the
lowest PCB ESR and ESL.
Figure 5. Demo board testing results: (a) efficiency, (b) loss difference between horizontal loop
and vertical Loop 1, and (c) VIN ripple during M1 turn-on at 15A output.
January 2023 19
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS

ESR1 (mΩ) ESR 2 (mΩ) ESR 3 (mΩ) ESRTOTAL ESR ESL1 ESL 2 ESL 3 ESLTOTAL ESL
at 2MHz at 2MHz at 2MHz (mΩ) at Change (nH) at (nH) at (nH) at (nH) at Change
2MHz Rate vs. 200MHz 200MHz 200MHz 200MHz Rate vs.
(a) (a)

(a) 0.59 2.65 0.45 3.69 N/A 0.42 2.80 0.23 3.45 N/A

(b) 0.59 0.3 0.38 1.27 –66% 0.42 0.09 0.17 0.67 –81%

(c) 0.24 0.27 0.83 1.35 –63% 0.07 0.07 0.52 0.66 –81%

(d) 0.44 0.3 0.28 1.01 –73% 0.25 0.09 0.08 0.42 –88%

(e) 0.44 0.27 0.26 0.97 –74% 0.21 0.08 0.07 0.36 –90%

(f) 0.31 0.27 0.13 0.7 –81% 0.12 0.07 0.02 0.21 –94%

Table 2. Extracted Hot Loop PCB ESR and ESL with Various Device Shapes and Positions in FastHenry

To experimentally verify the ESRs and ESLs in different Hot
Loops, the demo board efficiency and VIN AC ripple at 12V
to 1V CCM operation are tested. Theoretically, a lower ESR
leads to higher efficiency, and smaller ESL results in higher
VSW ringing frequency and lower VIN ripple magnitude.
Figure 5a shows the measured efficiency.
The loop length is further shortened thanks to the smaller
MOSFETs footprint, leading to 7% reduction of the loop
impedance. In Case (e), when a ground layer is placed under
the Hot Loop layer, the Hot Loop ESR and ESL are further
decreased by 2% compared to Case (d).

The vertical Hot Loop 1 gives the highest efficiency that

corresponds to the lowest ESR. The loss difference between
the horizontal Hot Loop and vertical Hot Loop 1 is also
calculated based on the extracted ESRs, which is consistent
with the testing result as shown in Figure 5b. The VIN HF
ripple waveforms in Figure 5c are tested crossing CIN. The
horizontal Hot Loop has a higher VIN ripple magnitude and a
lower ringing frequency, thus validating the higher loop ESL
compared to the vertical Hot Loop 1.

Also, because of the higher loop ESR, the VIN ripple in the
horizontal Hot Loop damps faster than in the vertical Hot
Loop 1. Furthermore, a lower VIN ripple reduces EMI and
allows a smaller EMI filter size.

Hot Loop PCB ESR and ESL

vs. MOSFETs Size and Position

For a discrete design, the placement and package size of

power FETs also have a significant impact on Hot Loop
ESRs and ESLs. A typical half-bridge Hot Loop with power
FETs M1 and M2 and a decoupling capacitor CIN is modeled
and investigated in this section. As illustrated in Figure 6,
popular power FET package sizes and placement positions
are compared. Table 2 shows the extracted ESRs and ESLs in
each case.

Figure 7. (a) LT8390/DC2825A Hot Loop with straight MOSFETs placement; (b) LT8392/
Cases (a) to (c) present three popular power FET placements DC2626A Hot Loop with 90˚ MOSFETs placement; (c) VIN ripple waveforms at M1 turn-on.
with 5mm × 6mm MOSFETs. The physical length of the
Hot Loop determines the parasitic impedance. Hence, both
90˚ shape placement in Case (b) and 180˚ shape device
placement in Case (c) result in 60% ESR reduction and 80%
ESL reduction because of the shorter loop paths compared
to those in Case (a). Since a 90˚ shape placement shows the
benefit, several more cases are investigated based on Case
(b) to further reduce the loop ESR and ESL. In Case (d), a Figure 8. Hot Loop PCB models with (a) five GND vias placed close to CIN and M2; (b) 14
GND vias placed between CIN and M2; (c) 6 more vias placed on GND based on (b); (d) nine
5mm × 6mm MOSFET is replaced with two 3.3mm × 3.3mm more vias placed on GND area based on (c).
MOSFETs in parallel.

20 January 2023 www.mouser.com

 NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS

The reason is that eddy current is generated on the ground
layer, which induces the opposite magnetic field and
equivalently reduces the loop impedance.
In Case (f), another Hot Loop layer is constructed as the
bottom layer.
If two paralleled MOSFETs are symmetrically placed on the
top layer and bottom layer and connected through vias,
the Hot Loop PCB ESR and ESL reduction are more obvious
because of the paralleled impedance.
Therefore, smaller sized devices with symmetrical 90˚ shape
or 180˚ shape placement on top and bottom layers lead to
the lowest PCB ESR and ESL.
To make a fair comparison, the two demo boards are
configured with the same MOSFETs and decoupling
capacitors, and tested at 36V to 12V/10A, 300kHz step-
down operation. Figure 7c shows the tested VIN AC ripple
during M1 turn-on moment. With the 90˚ shape MOSFETs
placement, the VIN ripple has lower magnitude and higher
resonant frequency, hence validating the smaller PCB ESL due
to a shorter Hot Loop path.
On the contrary, because of the longer Hot Loop and higher
ESL, the straight MOSFETs placement results in much higher
VIN ripple magnitude and slower resonant frequency. A higher
input voltage ripple also causes a more severe EMI emission
according to the EMI test results in the study of Cho and
Szokusha.4

To experimentally verify the impact of the MOSFETs
placement, ADI’s high efficiency, 4-switch synchronous
buck-boost controller demo boards LT8390/DC2825A and
LT8392/DC2626A are used.4 As shown in Figure 7a and
Figure 7b, the DC2825A has a straight MOSFETs placement
and the DC2626A has a 90˚ shape MOSFETs placement.
Hot Loop PCB ESR and ESL
vs. Via Placement
The vias placement in the Hot Loop also has a critical impact
on the loop ESR and ESL. As shown in Figure 8, the Hot
Loop with a two-layer PCB structure and straight power
FETs placement is modeled. The FETs are placed on the top
layer and the second layer is a ground plane. The parasitic
impedance Z2 between CIN GND pad and M2 source pad
is part of the Hot Loop and is studied as an example. Z2 is
extracted from FastHenry. Table 3 summarizes and compares
the simulated ESR2 and ESL 2 with different via placements.

In general, adding more vias reduces the PCB parasitic

impedance. However, the reduction of ESR 2 and ESL 2 is not
linearly proportional to the number of vias. The vias close to
the terminal pads give the most obvious reduction in PCB
ESR and ESL. Therefore, for Hot Loop layout design, several
critical vias must be placed close to the pads of CIN and
MOSFETs to minimize the HF loop impedance.

Conclusion
Figure 6. Hot Loop PCB models: (a) 5mm × 6mm MOSFETs in straight placement; (b) 5mm ×
6mm MOSFETs in 90˚ shape placement; (c) 5mm × 6mm MOSFETs in 180˚ shape placement;
The reduction of a Hot Loop’s parasitic parameters can help
(d) two-parallel 3.3mm × 3.3mm MOSFETs in 90˚ shape placement; (e) two-parallel 3.3mm × improve the power efficiency, lower voltage ringing, and
3.3mm MOSFETs in 90˚ shape placement with ground layer; (f) symmetrical 3.3mm × 3.3mm
MOSFETs on top and bottom layers in 90˚ shape placement. reduce the EMI. To minimize the PCB parasitic parameters,
Hot Loop layout designs with different decoupling capacitor
positions, MOSFET sizes and positions, and via placements
were studied and compared. A shorter Hot Loop path, smaller
Case ESR 2 ESR ESL 2 ESL sized MOSFETs, symmetrical 90˚ shape and 180˚ shape
(mΩ) at Change (nH)at Change
2MHz Rate vs. 200MHz Rate vs.
MOSFETs placements, and vias close to the key components
Initial Initial contribute to the lowest Hot Loop PCB ESR and ESL.
Case Case
Initial Case
2.67 N/A 1.19 N/A
Without Vias References
Mattan Kamon, Michael Tsuk, and Jacob White. “FASTHENRY: A Multipole-Accelerated 3-D
1

(a) 1.73 –35.2% 0.84 –29.8% Inductance Extraction Program.” IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques,
Vol. 42, 1994.
Andreas Musing, Jonas Ekman, and Johann W. Kolar. “Efficient Calculation of Non-
2

(b) 1.68 –37.1% 0.82 –30.8% Orthogonal Partial Elements for the PEEC Method.” IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 45,
2009.
Ren Ren, Zhou Dong, and Fei Fred Wang. “Bridging Gaps in Paper Design Considering
3
(c) 1.67 –37.5% 0.82 –31% Impacts of Switching Speed and Power-Loop Layout.” IEEE, 2020.
Yonghwan Cho and Keith Szolusha. “4-Switch Buck-Boost Controller Layout for Low
4

Emissions—Single Hot Loop vs. Dual Hot Loop.” Analog Dialogue, Vol. 55, July 2021.
(d) 1.65 –38.2% 0.82 –31.4%
Henry J. Zhang. “PCB Layout Consideration for Non-Isolated Switching Power Supplies.”
5

Analog Devices, Inc., 2012.

Christian Kueck. “Power Supply Layout and EMI.” Analog Devices, Inc., 2012.
6
Table 3. Extracted Hot Loop PCB ESR 2 and ESL 2 with Different Via Placements

www.mouser.com January 2023 21

NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES
How thermal
efficiency is helping
data centers run
more sustainably
Contributed by staff at
Texas Instruments
Innovative semiconductor design and
packaging technologies are improving
efficiencies in data centers as server
power demands increase.
Every time we stream the latest movie,
talk to AI-driven voice assistance or
attend a business meeting from home
using a laptop computer, we’re pushing
large amounts of digital information
through data centers and using
resources that consume vast amounts
of electricity. And that usage is only
increasing.
In 2022, the world created and
consumed nearly 100 zettabytes –
100,000 billion gigabytes – of data.
That incomprehensibly vast ocean
of bits is projected to almost double
by 2025.1 And increasingly, that data
is running through hyperscale data
centers, each filled with thousands
of servers.
22 January 2023
FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS
Estimates by the U.S. government place
the energy demands of data centers at
70 terawatt-hours per year.2 Increases
in blockchain mining alone have more
than doubled that figure since then.
Current data center consumption is
likely accounting for at least 2% of
total U.S. electric power consumption,
according to the Center of Expertise
for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers.3
That’s enough to have a significant
impact on the environment, which adds
urgency to the goal of enabling data
centers to run more sustainably.
As servers in these centers evolve to
handle and process the exploding flow
of data, the electric power consumed
by each server is growing as well —
from an average 1,500 watts per server
in previous years to 3,000 watts in
newer servers, said Robert Taylor, a
systems manager with our company
who specializes in industrial power
management.
Achieving higher power densities and
thus improved efficiency in server power
supply units (PSUs) is one way to achieve
more efficient data center operations.
There’s an additional urgency to
upgrade server PSUs, Robert said.
The growing power demands of data
centers are bumping up against a
bottleneck: Most hyperscale data
centers can’t bring in more than 50
megawatts of electric power."Because
the total amount of power is limited in
these data centers, they need to waste
as little power as possible on cooling
and on losses due to inefficiencies in
the electronics," Robert said.
At the same time, he said, the server
industry is demanding smaller printed
circuit board footprints to fit more
computing power in each rack. That
means the power components in servers
have to become smaller and more efficient
without producing excessive heat.
"Much of the heat
produced in servers
has come from
power losses due
to the conversion of
incoming AC power
at 400V down to DC
power at 6V or less."
www.mouser.com

Our company has taken the lead in
producing innovative semiconductor
power products that meet the daunting
performance, efficiency and thermal
management demands of the current
and future generations of leading-edge
data centers.
The resulting power supplies are
helping keep even the largest data
centers running smoothly with more
sustainable footprints.
Handling higher power
and temperatures
The key to high-performance, energy-
efficient semiconductor power supplies
is to achieve ever-higher levels of power
density — that is, to pack more power-
handling capacity into smaller volumes.
But higher power densities also pack
more heat into that reduced volume,
and that requires advanced thermal
management techniques to sustain
performance and protect components.
The need for higher power density
isn’t unique to data centers. Electric
systems from grid and communications
equipment to electric vehicles and
personal electronics also need the
performance and efficiencies offered by
denser, thermally efficient power chips.
Produce less heat with
efficient packages
Our company is stepping up to the
challenge of providing higher power
density in server power supply chips.
Small outline transistor (SOT) packages
with integrated switches are expanding
the boundaries of power densities and
performance while lowering cost.
1
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/871513/worldwide-data-created/. 2+3 Source: Center of Expertise for Energy Efficiency in Data Centers. HotRod™ is a trademark of Texas Instruments.
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NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS
Advances such as these wouldn’t be
possible without innovative approaches
to thermal management. There
are three key areas we focus on to
optimize thermal performance and
break through power density barriers
at the chip level: process technology,
circuit design techniques and thermally
optimized packaging. Much of the heat
produced in servers has come from
power losses due to the conversion of
incoming AC power at 400V down to
DC power at 6V or less.
Products such as the TLVM13630
power module use our Enhanced
Hotrod™ Quad-flat No Lead (QFN)
package technology with integrated
field-effect transistors (FET) that
deliver fast switching speeds and lower
resistance to sharply cut those power
losses, boosting chip efficiency and
thus trimming heat.
Figure 1: TLVM13630 power module.
"Any resistance in the silicon is
inefficiency, and that’s wasted power
and extra heat," said Les Stark, director
of QFN and SOT package development
at our company.
To further cut losses that produce extra
heat, our company is taking advantage
of industry-leading capabilities such as
integrating more components into power
chips, including FETs and capacitors.
FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS
That integration provides faster, more
efficient switching with less noise, as
with the TPS25985 eFuse with ultra-
low on-resistance, delivering better
thermal performance while achieving
as much as 80A of current. In some
cases, our company achieves higher
integration through 3-dimensional
stacking of components on the chip.
Remove heat effectively
with thermally enhanced
packages
Our company also has taken the
lead in getting heat off of chips with
innovative device packaging. For
example, our company pioneered
HotRod and Enhanced HotRod QFN
packages that use a flip-chip style
package to directly bond the surface
of the chip and its connectors to the
circuit board, instead of relying on
bond wires to get signals in and out of
the chip. That more direct connection is
highly efficient at moving heat off the
chip onto the board.
“This package design provides large
ground pads that weren’t previously
possible, allowing good thermal paths
from the devices into the printed circuit
board,” Les said.
Our company’s other advanced
approaches to removing heat include
more effective heat-sink placement
to achieve improved top-side cooling.
Our gallium nitride (GaN) FETs employ
top-side cooled packages, which will
become increasingly important in data
center systems as the drive to pack
more computing power into each
server leads to new, denser component
arrangements that require more ways
to get heat off of the chips.
“As GaN enables us to achieve ever-
higher power densities, this sort
of flexible approach to cooling will
become all the more important,”
Robert said.
Any one of these efficiency-increasing
and heat-removing approaches in a tiny
chip can make a big contribution to
thermal management and efficiency. By
optimizing packages for both size and
efficiency, we are helping solve data-
center customers’ heat problems and
reducing environmental footprints.
January 2023 23
NEWS MOUSER NEWS
Motor drive ICs use
built-in system fault
diagnosis to reduce
field returns
By Cristian Ionescu-Catrina, Senior Marketing Manager,
Power Integrations
BridgeSwitch™ combines high efficiency,
design flexibility, enhanced safety, IEC 60335-1
and IEC 60730-1 compliance, with fault diagnosis
Designers are increasingly challenged by
demands for continuous improvements
in the efficiency and reliability of motor
drives in consumer appliances. From the
European Union (EU) to China, higher
efficiencies are required for a growing
range of consumer appliances including
dishwashers, refrigerators, and heating,
ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
systems. Designs are also expected to
comply with IEC 60335-1 IEC 60730-1
safety requirements.
At the same time, consumers and
manufacturers alike are demanding
higher levels of reliability with less field
service and fewer returns. According
to a recent industry study, misdiagnosis
results in 30% of compressor returns
having ‘no-fault found,’1 adding to
costs and inefficiencies across the
supply chain, and resulting in unhappy
consumers. Harnessing the IoT can
enable remote monitoring of consumer
appliances, but the design must support
meaningful and cost-effective fault
diagnostics and protection functions.
Figure 1: BridgeSwitch combines high efficiency with extensive fault monitoring and reporting (blue text) for increased
system and inverter reliability.
24 January 2023
FEATURES FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS
To address these challenges, designers
can turn to BridgeSwitch, high-voltage,
self-powered, half-bridge motor driver
ICs with integrated device protection,
and system monitoring and reporting,
that deliver higher efficiency, increased
design flexibility and enhanced inverter
and system reliability (Figure 1).
High efficiency simplifies
thermal management
BridgeSwitch integrated half-bridges
simplify the development and production
of high-voltage inverter driven 1- or
3-phase permanent magnet (PM)
or brushless dc (BLDC) motor drives.
BridgeSwitch includes a proprietary
instantaneous phase current output signal
that facilitates the design of sensor-less
control schemes. These ICs include two
600V, N-channel power FREDFETs, with
high- and low-side drivers, in a small-
outline surface mount package (13.6 x
9.4mm and 1.35mm high) that offers
extended creepage distances and allows
heat sinking of both power FREDFETs
through the printed circuit board (Figure 2).
Figure 2: This bottom view of the BridgeSwitch InSOP-24C
package shows the extended creepage distance (lower right)
and the cooling pads for the high- and low-side FREDFETs.
The ultra-soft and ultrafast diodes in
the FREDFETs are optimized for hard
switched inverter drives. The high-
and low-side control and drivers are
self-supplied, eliminating the need for
an external auxiliary power supply.
And the distributed thermal footprint,
combined with up to 99.2% efficiency,
eliminates the need for an external heat
sink at rated continuous RMS current,
reducing system cost, size, and weight.
BridgeSwitch ICs can deliver up to 400
W of output power and are well-suited
for use in inverters in appliances such
as dishwashers and refrigerators, and
condenser fans in high efficiency air
conditioners.
Hardware-based fault
protection saves
certification cost and
time
The microcontroller (MCU) in most
inverter designs is used to monitor
and respond to fault conditions, as
well as controlling the motor. Motor
control is straight forward and relatively
quick to implement using standard
software packages. Fault diagnostics
and protection are more challenging
and can vary significantly from one
application to another since they rely
on a variety of different sensors to
monitor the phase currents, system
overtemperature conditions, vibration,
and other system parameters.
www.mouser.com

Figure 3: BridgeSwitch ICs have integrated fault diagnosis, a bidirectional FAULT bus, plus reporting and hardware protection
to enhance reliability.
It’s complex to program the MCU
to interpret the sensor inputs and
implement protection as required to gain
certification to international standards.
Certifying the monitoring and control
software is a time consuming and costly
process, often delaying time to market.
On the other hand, the hardware-based
motor fault protection in BridgeSwitch
ICs is confirmed to be compliant to the
abnormal motor operation requirements
of IEC 60335-1 and IEC 60730-1 without
relying on software to control, reducing
costs and speeding time to market.2
Its Class A software designation per
IEC 60730-1 can save two months
of certification time, and the use of
BridgeSwitch ICs also simplifies the safety
approval process for product updates.
BridgeSwitch combines comprehensive
internal fault protection functions with
external system level monitoring and
reporting via a bidirectional FAULT bus
(Figure 3). Internal fault protection includes
two-level thermal overload protection and
cycle-by-cycle current for both FREDFETs.
System level monitoring includes four
undervoltage levels and one overvoltage
level on the high-voltage (HV) DC bus,
and external sensors such as a negative
coefficient thermistor (NTC) temperature
sensor, a vibration sensor and the ability
to detect a stalled motor, disconnected
motor-phase, or running over load.
Figure 4: BridgeSwitch status reporting combines single wire fault communication bus with device ID programming (green).
www.mouser.com
NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS
The single-wire FAULT bus is based on
an open-drain architecture and enables
the BridgeSwitch ICs to send status
updates using an 8-bit word, with the
8th bit providing odd-parity to ensure
signal integrity. It is also used by the
MCU to send:
• Commands to the BridgeSwitch ICs;
• Queries to the BridgeSwitch ICs for
status updates, and;
• Reset commands to ICs that are
latched-off for an over-temperature
fault.
The ID pin is used at power up to set
a unique IHB identification for each
BridgeSwitch IC, enabling the MCU to
identify which IC provided a given fault
alert; IHB1 has the ID pin connected to
BPL, the ID pin is floating for IHB2 and
the ID pin is connected to SG for IHB3
(Figure 4).
In addition, setting the IHB
identification of each IC supports
arbitration on the single-wire bus using
the device ID time period (tID ). HB1 has
a tID of 40µs, the tID for HB2 is 60µs
and the tID for HB3 is 80µs. The system
MCU is assigned a default tID of 160µs,
guaranteeing that it always wins bus
arbitration.
FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS
MotorExpert accelerates
time to market
MotorExpert software features speed
and current control loop functions
and includes an embedded C code
application, library, and control GUI
that supports single-phase designs
using BridgeSwitch ICs.3 It accelerates
time to market by providing a
graphical interface to all parameters
and commands, as well as a terminal
emulator for interacting with the motor
controller in serial mode.
The Motion Scope window displays
real-time linear graphs of controller
variables. New functions and use cases
can be added and users can easily port
the software to an MCU. The software
needs only 14 kB of code memory and
5 kB of SRAM, making it suitable for
running on MCUs with limited memory
resources. Software developed using
MotorExpert meets static (MISRA) and
dynamic performance requirements for
latency, jitter and execution time.
Conclusion
Designers can turn to BridgeSwitch
ICs with built-in system fault diagnosis
to reduce field returns and speed
time to market. These self-powered,
half-bridge motor driver ICs deliver
the high efficiency, design flexibility,
and enhanced inverter and system
reliability demanded in modern
consumer appliances. The extensive
hardware-based protection functions
save certification time and costs.
These ICs are IEC 60335-1 & 60730-1
compilate as confirmed in UL Report
4788685352. The ID pin enables
the MCU to pinpoint the location of
faults. Finally, the use of MotorExpert
design software further speeds time to
market for single-phase applications of
BridgeSwitch ICs.
Click for More Information
References
Understanding Compressor Electronics, Emerson Climate;
1
Chapter 2, Page 3
UL Report 4788685352, UL Informative Report IEC 60335-1
2
Safety of Household and Similar Electrical Appliances
BridgeSwitch Motor-Expert Motor Control Configuration
3
and Diagnostics Tool, Power Integrations
January 2023 25
Bourns Power Supply
Design Solutions
High-reliability performance
in smaller, more compact designs.

Talking Test
By Stuart Cording, Consulting Engineer
Whatever your new normal is – back in the lab, remote or hybrid
– you’ll need good test resources with the emphasis on accuracy,
flexibility, portability and affordability. Electronics engineer and
technical writer Stuart Cording, who focuses primarily on the
semiconductor and embedded systems sectors, is here to help.
Peering into
power
When developing battery-powered
applications, operational life is a core
concern. Determining the application’s
power profile on paper alone is
exceptionally challenging, especially
with the diverse range of radio
technologies and operation modes of
Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
When deployed in different parts of
the same building, the same devices
may have substantially different power
consumption due to poor reception and
repetition of failed data transfers.
Further challenges arise when
applications are deployed outdoors,
as temperature impacts the battery’s
properties. Low temperatures cause the
output voltage to drop due to increased
internal resistance. Capacity also drops
significantly below 0°C. As a result, a
battery-operated device that worked in
the fall may fail as winter arrives.
With current draw in low-power
and sleep mode for microcontrollers
dropping to the nanoamp range,
multimeters are a poor choice of tool
as they aren’t designed to measure
such low currents. Digital ammeters
are another option. As the application
switches from sleep to active
modes, they provide the necessary
dynamic range to deliver accurate
measurements.
www.mouser.com
NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS
But developers aren’t that interested
in static measurements. Far more
important is the dynamic power profile,
which can be used to predict battery life
under different operational conditions.
Ensuring application
battery life
Accurate power profiling typically
requires a collection of equipment,
but today, highly integrated tools are
available. One option is the Otii Arc
Pro from Qoitech, a startup based in
Sweden (Figure 1). Targeting battery-
powered applications and IoT devices,
it integrates a power supply, current
measurement, and a programmable
digital interface.
The compact anodized housing is
rugged and portable, allowing the use
of the tool in field measurements under
realistic user conditions.
Powered via USB, it is accompanied
by a year of access to the Otii Pro
Software that provides access to a host
of additional capabilities, including
UART logging, battery life calculator,
and customization of statistics. This
builds on the basic feature set of
measurements and statistics, calibration
offset, and result export options.
FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS
Figure 1: Otii Arc delivers the power profile of low-power
and battery-powered applications. Using scripts, tests can
also be automated. Source: Qoitech AB. (NOTE: source
- https://www.qoitech.com/wp-content/themes/
yootheme/cache/9f/lab_-scaled-9f26da9b.webp).
The hardware unit provides output
voltage control from 0.5 to 3.75V in 1
mV steps in auto-ranging mode, or up
to 4.2V in the high current range, at a
maximum output current of 250mA.
Moving to an external power supply
increases these to 5.0V and 2.5A
continuous current (5.0A maximum).
Current measurement accuracy is ±(0.1
% + 50nA) up to 19mA and ±(0.1 % +
150µA) beyond this, while voltages are
accurate to ±(0.1 % + 1.5mV).
Additional analogue measurements, such
as measuring an additional subsystem,
are supported with an analogue-to-
digital converter (ADC) that can be used
in single-ended and differential modes.
Digital I/Os are also available to support
control of the device under test and
provide UART functionality.
January 2023 27
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES
A top sampling rate of 4ksps delivers
accurate averaged measurements, even
when the pulses captured lie under the
sampling speed.
The software delivers a clear
visualization of power consumption,
easy access to the tool’s feature set
(Figure 2), and measurement results can
be compared in Pro. Further licenses
enable access to profiling or emulating
batteries and test automation using
Python or C# scripting.
Figure 2: The accompanying software provides easy access
to the tool’s configuration and a clear display of the power
profile. Source: Qoitech AB.
Monitoring low-power
wireless
While dedicated power profiling tools
are great, sometimes it helps to have
something that integrates into your
existing development flow. Nordic
Semiconductor, known for its low-
power wireless technologies, offers
its Power Profiler Kit II (PPK2) that
integrates directly with nRF52, nRF53,
and nRF9 development kits (Figure 3).
The minimalist design consists of a PCB
with a protective, clear plastic housing, a
USB connector, and a header for power
measurements. An integrated 8-pin
logic analyzer is also provided together
with the required connection cables.
Figure 3: The Power Profiler Kit II from Nordic Semiconductor
is an excellent match for nRF development kits.
28 January 2023
FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS
Operating at 100ksps, current
measurements of 200nA to 1A are
supported, with resolution varying
between 100nA and 1mA over that
range. In source measurement unit
(SMU) mode, the board can supply
power and measure current, with
voltage configurable from 0.8V to
5.0V. Otherwise, an external supply,
limited to the same range, can be used.
The tool measures instantaneous and
average current and can also be used
with custom boards.
One of the challenges of power
debugging is relating power peaks and
troughs with the code. Thanks to the
integrated logic analyzer and some
light code instrumentation, such a link
can be achieved easily. The software,
available through nRF Connect for
Desktop, supports Windows, Linux,
and macOS (Figure 4).
It displays current consumption as a
live, real-time view or can record data
for later analysis using its data logger
function. Signals captured by the logic
analyzer correlate with the power data.
Through advanced controls, gain offsets
can also be applied, as can filters to
compensate for range switching.
Monitoring high power
consumption
Of course, it isn’t just battery-powered
applications where power consumption
is a concern. Changes in power drawn
can deliver a wealth of insight, such as
how loaded a washing machine is or
signs of an impending motor failure.
Most circuits use a shunt resistor
for this purpose, but this can cause
challenges.
Figure 4: In data logger mode, the PKK2 software can display the power profile together with logic analyzer data to help link
peaks with application code execution. Source: Nordic Semiconductor.
Low-side sensing is easy to implement
but can’t detect some errors, such
as shorting of the load’s terminals
to ground. It also causes the ground
side of the load to rise above ground,
another potential cause of issues.
Alternatively, a high-side resistor can
be used, but this requires a differential
measurement that is more costly to
implement.
The semiconductor industry has
recently launched various alternative
current measurement solutions,
including miniaturized coreless
magnetic sensors such as the TLI4971
from Infineon. Thanks to its use
of an integrated current rail and
differential Hall sensor, such sensors
are capable of bi-directional DC and
AC measurements, making them ideal
for robotics, white goods, power tools,
battery management, and photovoltaic
inverters.
This particular device has a 220µΩ
insertion resistance, lower than 1µH
parasitic inductance, and a 240kHz
bandwidth. Galvanically isolated up to
1150V, it can measure currents of up to
±120A.
To get started quickly, the TLI4971 is
available as a Shield 2Go (S2Go) kit
(Figure 5). This T-shaped board features
two sturdy M4 screw connectors and
uses 140µm copper to support high-
current applications. Connections to the
magnetic current sensor are available
as castellated pads for integration into
the user’s application. However, the
kit also has a sensor shield to simplify
the connection to other development
systems, such as an XMC2go, Arduino,
or Raspberry Pi.
www.mouser.com

Figure 5: The Shield 2Go (top) for the TLI4971 provides easy
access to current measurement technology. The large pads
(right) show the integrated current rail. Source: Infineon AG.
Fast evaluation of the current sensor’s
capabilities is provided through a
software GUI. Current data acquired
can be exported in CSV format. The
TLK4971 is also highly configurable,
allowing custom settings to be written
to its internal EEPROM through the GUI.
An alternate current
measurement approach
There is an alternative for those whose
current draw is a little lower. Using giant
magneto-resistive (GMR) technology,
the Allegro ACS70331 can measure ±5
A of DC or AC current. This simple 3.3V
device, available in a 12-pin QFN or 8-pin
SOIC package, provides a simple output
voltage proportional to the current.
WSBS Power
Metal Strip®
Battery Shunt
Resistors
www.mouser.com
NEW PRODUCTS
Seeed Studio offers the device in its
Grove Sensor (Figure 6) format to get
started quickly.
Thanks to the integration of a voltage
regulator, the board can be powered
from a 3.3 or 5.0V supply, and it uses
their standard four-pin connector
system. Connection for the load is
provided via a sturdy screw-terminal
block.
Seeed also provides a comprehensive
description of the operation of the
sensor together with example code
to get you started. Initial operation
determines the measurement under no
current draw conditions, delivering an
offset value for the code. Once applied,
the code is ready to run.
Figure 6: Current measurement using a GMR sensor is
made easy thanks to this Seeed Studio Grove board, which is
supported with software examples.
FOCUS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS
Keeping on top of power
consumption
There are many different reasons
to monitor power. In embedded
applications, using a battery as the
power supply or even an energy
harvesting solution demands a deeper
understanding of the power profile.
From here, operational life can be
determined, and any necessary
improvements implemented. Qoitech’s
Otii is an ideal all-round test and
measurement tool that can also be part
of an automated test approach. For
users of Nordic’s wireless system-on-
chip (SoC) devices, the PPK2 integrates
easily with their development boards
and keeps you in a single development
ecosystem.
For those looking to add current
measurement capabilities to their
application, there are also alternatives
to shunt resistors. Hall-sensing and
GMR technology provide isolation from
the current measured, which makes the
circuit easier to implement. Coupled
with the available development boards,
evaluating the device that best fits your
needs is a speedy and smooth process. 
January 2023 29
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES
From the
Connector Geek
Don’t diss connectors! David Pike is proud to call himself the ‘Connector Geek’.
He has spent nearly 30 years in the interconnection marketplace, working with
manufacturers and distributors, building a reputation throughout the industry
for his passion and knowledge. So we gave him his own series...
AN INTRODUCTION TO
POWER INTEGRITY
The demand for high-speed
connectivity is growing. The
widespread adoption of 5G technology,
the growth of the Internet of Things
(IoT) and growing connectivity of
devices such as cars and homes has
driven the appetite for high data rates.
Signal integrity has become hugely
important to the electronics industry.
A few decades ago, engineers
were predicting the end of copper
connectivity. Speeds of 100Mbps
(Megabits per second) were viewed by
some as the limits of signal integrity
when transmitted over copper-
based infrastructure. Technology
has advanced, and we are seeing
the growing adoption of 112 Gbps
communication over traditional copper
cables and connectors. The latest
installations are growing increasingly
powerful as 400 and 800 Gigabit
Ethernet becomes a reality, and
many are looking towards 1.6 Terabit
Ethernet in the near future.
30 January 2023
FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS
Advances in transmission speed have
been driven by the chip manufacturers.
The introduction of PAM4 (4-level pulse
amplitude modulation) signalling, in
which data is transmitted in one of 4
voltage levels, has increased the need
for clean signals. It can double the
amount of information that can be
transmitted when compared to NRZ
(Non-return to zero) signalling but is
more susceptible to interference.
This is easier to understand when we
look at the eye diagrams for the two
methods. The differentiation between
the levels, as noted by the eye height
“A” in both images, is vital for signal
integrity. It should be clear that the
smaller eyes of PAM4 transmission
make it more easily affected by
interference.
NRZ or PAM2 transmission PAM 4 Transmission
The medium through which signals
travel is vital to signal integrity, and
these high speeds have forced us to
revise some assumptions. The two-
dimensional nature of printed circuit
boards (PCBs) limits their ability to
support high-speed signals, and so
there is an increasing interest in the
use of twinax cable assemblies as an
alternative to traditional PCB.
Connector manufacturers have devoted
considerable expertise to design
connectors and cabling systems that
preserve signal integrity.
The Limitations of
PCB Connectors
However, the manufacturers also
understand that their responsibility
does not end with the connectors
themselves. The inexorable rise in
the demand for high data speeds has
brought the transition from connector
to PCB into focus.
Anyone who has spent any time
looking at PCB mounted connectors
over the last few decades will be
familiar with PCB layout diagrams.
They provide the detail that designers
need to incorporate the physical
arrangements for securing a connector
onto the board, including the mounting
points, spacings and plating details.
For a long time, it was sufficient for
the manufacturer to provide this
information and leave the rest of the
design detail to the customer.
The growing importance of signal
integrity has highlighted the
importance of the Break-Out Region
(BOR), the name given to the zone in
which signals leave the connector itself
and make the transition onto the PCB.
www.mouser.com

However clever the connector
manufacturer has been in designing
the connector to preserve SI within the
connector itself, all of this work can
be undone by a poor BOR layout. As a
result, manufacturers like Samtec are
providing customers with optimised
designs to create a clean interface at
the edge of the BOR, with signals that
are ready to be processed.
Signal integrity is only part of the battle,
however. Power plays an enormous role
in the future of our data networks. Exact
predictions vary depending upon the
source, but by the end of this decade as
much as 4% of all electricity generated
globally will be used in data centres. Just
as signal integrity is vital to the quality of
our communications, so power integrity
(PI) will be just as important in ensuring
the smooth running of data centres
worldwide.
Understanding
Power Integrity
The problem is that, while SI is well
defined with a wealth of information
available to engineers, the pursuit of
PI has far less structure. There are no
standards or requirements that govern
how it is affected by the connectors
and cables through which power is
transmitted. It is therefore up to the
designer to manage their own PI needs.
The goal of PI is to provide power to
the system within acceptable limits. Key
to this goal is the power distribution
network, which is defined as the entire
path of current from the power supply
all the way to the consumer. The power
distribution network must minimise
the voltage fluctuation across the
consumer, in spite of its varying current
demand.
This variation or ripple is induced by
dynamic current introduced by the
consumer, and is often created by
switching.
www.mouser.com
NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS FEATURES
This can reduce the voltage or create
spikes, either of which affects the
quality of the power supply as it reaches
the consumer. The use of decoupling
capacitors can reduce the effect of these
variations, and the closer that these
capacitors can be placed to the consumer,
the more effective they can be.
However, in common with signal
integrity, the medium over which
power is transmitted also has a major
impact on the PI of a power network.
Connectors are a key component in this
battle to provide clean power.
When looking to provide a power
distribution network that maximises PI,
designers must consider both the series
resistance and the series inductance
of the components. When it comes
to selecting a suitable connector, we
frequently look at contact resistance
as a key indicator of its performance.
However, inductance is not so familiar to
many of us. In general, series resistance
will influence the DC drop while series
inductance will determine the AC
transient noise.
We can apply a generalisation in which
a higher overall inductance will require a
greater number of decoupling capacitors.
It is possible to reduce the inductance of
a connector by altering its geometry – the
arrangement of power contacts in relation
to each other. But as the challenges of
PI are less well understood, there is less
information available to help the designer.
Connectors and
Power Integrity
While there are a few guidelines that
will help, there is no single rule that is
true for all applications. For example,
we could ask whether it is better to
employ a connector with a few large
contacts, each carrying higher currents,
or a larger number of smaller contacts
in which the power is distributed more
evenly across the connector.
MOUSER NEWS NEWS
For higher, unregulated input voltages
where the system can tolerate greater
AC fluctuations, a single larger blade-
type contact will be more suitable.
A larger contact will be able to carry
larger currents at higher voltages, and
will therefore minimise the DC losses.
However, once the power supply has
been regulated, the problem of AC
fluctuation becomes more important. In
this case, the inductance of the connector
will be lower using smaller contacts,
using several in parallel to reduce the
current transmitted through each.
As a result, the designer must be
prepared to ask some important
questions when establishing the power
requirements of their system. What
is the required target output, how
low can this be allowed to fall before
affecting functionality, and what is the
source of any noise that might affect
power integrity?
With the emphasis on high-speed
communications, it is easy to assume
that signal integrity is the only aspect
that must be considered. However, a
reliable and clean power supply is vital
to fast communications. Selecting the
right connector geometry, and thus the
right connector, plays a huge role in
maintaining a clean power supply.
Make sure you don’t ignore power
integrity.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to Matt Burns and Istvan Novak
of Samtec for their invaluable assistance
in writing this column. Samtec is a
world leader in the development of
connectors for high-speed applications.
Take a look at the complete range here,
and the huge amount of information
available to help with your design.
January 2023 31
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS

The development
tools you need
Top 5 Development Tools

Mouser offers one of the widest ranges of development kits immediately available off-the-shelf to help
designers get started. Here, Mouser’s Technical Marketing Manager, EMEA, Mark Patrick, presents his
‘Top 5 Pick’ of recently-released dev kits. www.mouser.com/Development-Tools-Center

BLDC control
Infineon MOTIX™ Motor Bench
Infineon’s MOTIX™ Motor Bench is a BLDC motor test bench
combining Infineon evaluation boards and reference designs.
Ideal for pumps, fans and 3-phase BLDC motor applications,
the Infineon MOTIX motor bench includes a Nanotec
DB42S03 brushless DC motor with the following specs: 8/3
No. of pol./phase; 24 VDC rated; 0.0625Nm/0.19Nm Torque
rated/peak; 4000RPM/6200RPM Speed rated/no load.

Also included is a current controlled hysteresis brake (Mobac

HB-50M-2) with 0.38Nm maximum torque and 15000 RPM
maximum speed ratings.

FIND OUT MORE >>

Initial sensor measurement

ams OSRAM AS7331 eval kit
This evaluation Kit allows initial sensor measurements by
implementing the AS7331 spectral UV sensor. The AS7331-
EVK hardware is split into two parts, consisting of a sensor
board with an I2C interface and a communication board with
USB output where the sensor board is connected.

The ams OSRAM AS7331 kit supplies a comfortable

GUI, enabling access to all sensor settings. Furthermore,
measurements can be recorded and exported via a .csv file
for further analysis. Also, a source development kit (SDK)
is incorporated into the kit. This SDK furnishes prepared
libraries and sample codes to support comfortable
firmware design-ins.

FIND OUT MORE >>

32 January 2023 www.mouser.com

 NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS

Accelerometer + 3-axis gyroscope

STMicroelectronics
STEVAL-MKI227KA 3-axis kit
This kit is based on the LSM6DSV16X inertial module
with a Qvar electrostatic sensor. The STMicroelectronics
LSM6DSV16X has three different electrodes (swipe
finger and generic) to make it compatible with the
STEVAL-MKI109V3.

The LSM6DSV16X can be configured by changing the

position of the jumper. The kit provides the complete
LSM6DSV16X pinout and comes ready to use with the
required decoupling capacitors on the VDD power
supply line.

FIND OUT MORE >>

RF amplification
CML Microcircuits CMX90G70 eval
boards
These boards are used to evaluate CMX90G70 RF amplifiers
- low-power 50Ω gain blocks suitable for many wireless
applications operating in the 6GHz to 18GHz frequency
range. The CML Microcircuits gain block has a positive gain
slope of +1dB across the 6GHz to 16GHz band. evaluation
boards operate at 6GHz to 18GHz wide frequency range, 2V
to 5V single positive DC supply range, and 105°C operating
temperature range.

The CML Microcircuits CMX90G70 evaluation boards are

ideally used in Satcom Ku-band, Fixed Wireless Access
(FWA), and 5G infrastructure and backhaul.

FIND OUT MORE >>

5G applications from 37-49GHz

ADI ADRF5301 SPDT switch eval
board
Analog Devices’ ADRF5301 is designed to evaluate the
performance and features of the ADRF5301 Silicone
Reflective SPDT Switches. ADRF5301 switches have a
frequency range of 37GHz to 49GHz, low insertion loss,
and high isolation. The ADRF5301-EVALZ board features a
2.4mm connector, an ADRF5301 switch, and the application
circuitry on the primary side of the board.

FIND OUT MORE >>

www.mouser.com January 2023 33

NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES
Tech Tips
Edge Impulse
Use Case:
Wildfire
Detection
Muhammed Zain and Salman Faris for Mouser
Machine learning has the potential
to fundamentally change the way
we exist and operate within our
world. At its core, machine learning
is just a mathematical way to predict
future events based on previous
data. However, when applied to big
challenges, machine learning can pave
the way for a safer and brighter future
for humanity.
Machine learning holds great promise
in the field of emergency preparedness.
Here, researchers are beginning to
investigate ways to leverage this
technology to predict emergency
events, such as extreme weather
situations, with enough notice to avoid
them altogether or at least reduce their
impact.
Machine learning offers a unique
opportunity for wildfire detection,
especially when implemented on
the Edge.
In this blog, we’ll discuss the promise of
machine learning for wildfire detection,
why the technology needs to be
deployed on the Edge, and how we
were able to use Edge Impulse to create
a proof of concept for this technology.
34 January 2023
FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS
Wildfires and Machine Scientists have long known that certain
Learning variables, such as the temperature
and humidity of air and soil, are key
Up to this point, one of the most indicators of an area’s susceptibility to
pressing issues facing humanity has wildfires. However, putting together
been how to adapt and react to mathematical models that can take
seemingly spontaneous natural events these variables and accurately predict
such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and the occurrence of wildfires has been
wildfires. In general, we’ve yet to find achallenging.
way to anticipate these events, and even
if we do, we often only realize once it’s With machine learning, this has all
too late to protect ourselves. changed. By taking data from key
indicators and feeding them into a
This is especially true for wildfires: We machine-learning model, wildfires
are aware of the conditions that are can be predicted with a high degree
conducive to wildfires, but their actual of accuracy. With this knowledge, we
onset is often considered a random can prepare for wildfires by evacuating
event. animals and removing flammable
biomass from an area, ultimately
As a result, we’ve been unable to reducing the damage and severity of
protect ourselves from the spread wildfires.
and damage of wildfires, resulting in
lost human and animal lives as well
Edge Computing for
as destroyed woodlands. Today, with
the rise of global warming and climate Wildfire Detection
change, predicting and preparing for
wildfires is seemingly more important In most cases, machine-learning
than ever before. applications are expected to run on the
cloud, where big servers provide the
Researchers have begun looking at ways processing power needed to perform
to use machine learning technology to machine-learning computation.
address this issue.
www.mouser.com
 NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS FEATURES
However, in the instance of wildfire In these cases, replacing the battery is
detection, this computation needs to not a realistic option; hence, the device
be moved to the Edge for several key is only useful as long as its battery
reasons. is alive.
In a wildfire detection application, a In general, one of the biggest power
device will be deployed consisting of consumers for an Internet of Things
a number of environmental sensors, device is the power spent wirelessly
such as humidity and temperature, and communicating with other devices in a
machine-learning algorithms are then network. In a cloud computing scheme,
run on these collected data. the device will burn significant power
simply by communicating the large
volume of sensor data to the cloud,
ultimately shortening battery life.
Instead, with Edge computing, less
wireless communication means less
power expenditure. Edge computing
enables sensors with long battery
life and hence a greater opportunity
to provide emergency preparedness
information.
Edge Impulse Makes It
In this scheme, two options exist: send Possible
the data to the cloud for processing or In the course of developing our wildfire
process them on the Edge. detection proof-of-concept device, we
encountered a variety of significant
A major challenge with cloud processing challenges and solved them with Edge
in this context is the remote deployment Impulse.
of these devices. These devices are
generally deployed in remote locations, One of these major challenges
like in the middle of a forest, where pertained to sensor fusion. In our
wildfires might actually take place. device, we take data from a number of
disparate sensors, including sensors for
In these isolated locations, network the temperature and humidity of both
connectivity is very limited, making air and soil, and we try to understand
it difficult, if not impossible, to these different data streams. Doing
communicate all of the sensor data to this requires sensor fusion, which is the
the cloud for processing. Instead, with process of merging data from multiple
machine learning on the Edge, all of sensors for a more encompassing view
the data and processing can be kept on of the environment.
the local device. The only thing to be
communicated with the outside world In general, implementing sensor fusion
would be a warning in the rare instance is a difficult task full of many unique
that a wildfire was determined to be complexities and algorithms. Luckily,
likely. Edge Impulse offers a built-in suite of
tools meant specifically for facilitating
Another benefit of Edge computing and implementing sensor fusion on
is that it may require less power Edge devices.
expenditure. In the vast majority of
cases, a remotely deployed sensing With this tool, we were able to
device will be powered by small successfully, and rather easily, design a
lithium-ion or lithium-polymer system that captures, aggregates, and
batteries. formats our data so that the data can
be fed into our machine-learning model.
www.mouser.com
MOUSER NEWS NEWS
Seeed Studio Wio Terminal
Furthermore, Edge Impulse made it
easy for us to select and train our
model as well as to deploy it to our
microprocessor. In our case, our
microprocessor was an ATSAMD51-
based core on a Seeed Studio Wio
Terminal.
Needless to say, our project would not
have been possible if it weren’t for the
tools and resources provided by Edge
Impulse.
Conclusion
For all of history, humanity has been
forced to react to natural events and
emergencies as they occurred. Now,
with the advent of machine learning,
we finally have the ability to predict and
prepare for emergencies in ways that
were previously unfathomable.
Wildfire detection is an important
cause that is becoming increasingly
paramount, but, due to the unique
restrictions of the application, it requires
Edge computing.
Thanks to Edge Impulse and the tools
and resources it provides, we were able
to develop a proof-of-concept wildfire
detection device that can accurately
alarm park rangers and other officials if
a wildfire is imminent.
At the end of the day, this technology
has the potential to save the lives of
humans and animals as well as to
prevent the destruction of our
fragile woodlands.
January 2023 35
NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS

ADI power amp now at NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
Mouser
Mouser is now stocking the ADPA7005 gallium
arsenide (GaAs), pseudomorphic high electron
mobility transfer (pHEMT) monolithic microwave
integrated circuit (MMIC) power amplifier from
Analog Devices.

This amplifier features an integrated temperature-

compensated on-chip power detector that operates between
18GHz and 44GHz. The ADPA7005 amplifier provides
15.5dB of small signal gain and approximately 32dBm of
saturated output power at 32GHz from a 5 V supply voltage.

It provides an IP3 of 40dBm and is ideal for linear

applications such as electronic counter-measure and
instrumentation applications requiring >30dBm of efficient
saturated output power.

The ADPA7005 amplifier is packaged in a 7mm x 7mm and Applications include military and aerospace, test instrumentation,
18-terminal ceramic leadless chip carrier with a heat-sink electronic countermeasure, and communications.
(LCC_HS) that exhibits low thermal resistance.
Click for More Information

Durable LEDs for automotive NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
exterior lighting
Mouser is now stocking the OSLON Black Flat X LED
devices from ams OSRAM. Designed for forward
lighting applications, including headlamps, night
vision, and laser devices, the OSLON LED devices offer
high efficiency and excellent thermal conditions.

The OSLON Black Flat X LED devices have a high focus on

system cost, making them a durable, cost-effective option
for a wide range of lighting solutions.

OSLON high-performance 3-chip Black Flat LEDs deliver 1350

lm at 1000mA. The LEDs’ pad geometry offers exceptional
thermal performance, allowing developers to reduce heatsink
size in their lighting designs. The 3-Chip Black Flat X LEDs
feature an extremely high contrast 1:200 design as a result of
black case material and TiO2 casting.

The OSLON 4-Chip Black Flat X KW4 HPL631.TK LEDs are an
ideal replacement for halogen lamps. Offering up to 2115 lm
at 1000mA, the 4-Chip Black Flat X LEDs support a range of
automotive functions, including headlamps and low-beam
and high-beam applications. The devices are housed in a
compact 7.59mm × 3.75mm × 0.50mm package, making
them a suitable choice for high-density applications.
OSLON 5-Chip Black Flat X KW5 HQL631.TK LEDs high-
performance are the most efficient lead-frame devices
in the OSLON series, delivering exceptional performance
in automotive exterior applications, including halogen
replacement. The high-efficiency LEDs offer up to 2140 lm at
1000mA, and they boast an operating temperature range of
-40°C to +135°C.

Click for More Information

36 January 2023 www.mouser.com

 NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS

New antennas for Wi-Fi NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
and Bluetooth
Mouser is now shipping the FlexPIFA™ 2-dBi and
FlexPIFA 3-dBi antennas with MHF1/U.FL cables from
Laird Connectivity.

These are the industry's first flexible Planar Inverted-F

Antennas (PIFA) designed for Wi-Fi or Bluetooth® applications
mounting on non-conductive or irregular surfaces, regardless
of humidity or hot/cold cycles (-40°C to +85°C).

The Laird Connectivity FlexPIFA 2-dBi and 3-dBi antennas are

designed to improve performance across a broad array of
environments, enclosures or even body-worn applications.
The 2-dBi FlexPIFA antenna is a super-small (40.1mm × 11mm
× 2.5mm), single-band (2.4GHz) device offering 2-dBi peak
gain, linear polarization, and 50 W impedance, ideally suited
for Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth applications.

The 3-dBi FlexPIFA antenna features dual-band (2.4/5.5GHz)
performance in a 38.5mm × 12.7mm × 2.5mm form factor,
with 3-dBi peak gain and 50W impedance. This antenna is
also ideal for Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth applications,
as well as legacy Wi-Fi 802.11a applications.
The FlexPIFA family of antennas delivers robust performance
and easy installation, making them an ideal solution for
challenging Internet of Things (IoT) and harsh environment
design applications.
Click for More Information

Auto qual’d USB-to-UART/ NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
MPSSE IC
The FT4232HA is an automotive-qualified USB 2.0-to-
UART converter from FTDI Chip seamlessly provides
high-speed USB support to target designs.

Featuring four independent configurable interfaces, the

FT4232HA device offers a highly flexible solution for a
range of both automotive and general USB applications,
including smart card readers, industrial control, media player
interfaces, and set-top box interfaces.

FTDI Chip’s FT4232HA, available from Mouser Electronics,

supports single-chip USB-to-quad serial ports with a variety
of configurations. Two of the device’s four configurable
interfaces can be configured as UART, JTAG, SPI, I²C, or
Bit-Bang mode, using an MPSSE with independent baud
rate generators, while the remaining two interfaces can be
configured as UART or Bit-Bang.

Suitable for a range of automotive applications, the highly

durable FT4232HA device is AEC Grade 2 qualified with an
extended operating temperature range of -40°C to +105°C.
The IC also features low operating and USB suspend currents
and supports bus-powered, self-powered, and high-power
bus-powered USB configurations.
For development, Mouser also offers the FT4232HA Mini
Module, a small evaluation board that features a pre-installed
FT4232HA and an onboard USB port that allows easy
connection to a PC. The evaluation module also includes two
26-pin dual-row headers to enable easy connection to PCB
header sockets and ribbon cables.

Click for More Information

www.mouser.com January 2023 37

NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS

Azoteq capacitive touch/ NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
proximity control ICs in stock
Azoteq’s IQS7223 capacitive touch/proximity
controller ICs are now in stock at Mouser.

The devices offer accurate long-term and power-on presence

detection with an I2C communication interface, configurable
GPIOs, and low-power options.

IQS7223ICs feature on-chip calculations that enable

the IC to respond effectively, event/streaming modes,
automated system power modes for optimal response, and
a customizable user interface. The IQS7223 ICs include
built-in functions such as dedicated intelligent wear output,
differential measurements, automatic tuning, noise filtering,
and debounce/hysteresis.

These ProxFusion® ICs are ideal for headphone wear

detection, fitness band or smartwatch wear detection,
and presence detection purposes.

Click for More Information

Wi-Fi and cellular antennas NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
for IoT and Smart Homes
Mouser, the New Product Introduction (NPI) leader™
empowering innovation, is now stocking the ANT-
W63WSx blade style Wi-Fi 6/6E/7 antennas and the
ANT-5GWWS6-SMA cellular sub-6 5G antennas from
Linx Technologies.

These antennas offer robust performance for both Wi-Fi and

cellular-based IoT and Smart applications, in a small form
factor design.

The new antennas provide engineers with superior

performance for IoT and Smart Home applications in the
2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands while supporting Wi-Fi
6, Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7. These ground-plane independent
dipole antennas feature an adjustable, hinged rotating design
with detents for straight, 45°, and 90° positioning, to offer
optimum performance and reduced exposure from impact
damage.

The ANT-W63WSx antennas offer omnidirectional radiation
and linear polarization and are available with either an SMA
plug (male pin) or an RP-SMA plug (female socket) connector
for design flexibility.
Linx Technologies ANT-5GWWS6-SMA Cellular Sub-6 5G
antenna is a dipole, blade-style antenna designed for 5G
New Radio, LTE, and cellular IOT (LTE-M, NB-IoT) applications
requiring a cost-effective, but capable, antenna solution.
The Linx Technologies ANT-5GWWS6-SMA also features an
adjustable antenna for optimum performance and reliability
for bandwidth from 617MHz to 5925MHz, and services
global cellular networks (5G/4G/3G/2G) for both home and
business networking. This antenna attaches with an SMA
plug (male pin) connector.
Click for More Information

38 January 2023 www.mouser.com

 NEW PRODUCTS FOCUS FEATURES MOUSER NEWS NEWS

3D facial recognition NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
Expanding on its top-rated EdgeReady portfolio, NXP’s
i.MX RT117F crossover processors offer a low-cost,
embedded, secure 3D facial recognition solution.

This innovative solution enables developers of smart locks

and other access control systems to add machine learning-
based secure facial recognition capabilities quickly and
efficiently to smart homes and smart Industrial Internet of
Things (IIoT)-based applications utilizing NXP's eIQ® machine
learning software.

Available from Mouser, the i.MX RT117F crossover processors
feature NXP's advanced implementation of the Arm®
Cortex®-M7 CPU core with 2 MBytes of on-chip SRAM,
running at up to 1GHz to provide higher performance, faster,
more accurate facial recognition, improved power efficiency
and an overall better user experience.
The i.MX RT117F also includes a license to run NXP's facial
biometric authentication library. The comprehensive library
hosts a robust offering of camera drivers, image capture and
pre-processing tools, face detection, tracking, alignment and
recognition tools, wireless drivers, automation scripts and
more.

Along with its dual-core processing and security features,
the i.MX RT117F also provides a 2D graphics processing
unit (GPU), two Gigabit Ethernet ports (and one 10/100
port), two High-Speed USB OTG with PHY, and support for
a MIPI display and camera. The combined solution of the
i.MX RT117F crossover processor, with a high-performance
3D structured light module (SLM) camera, helps deliver the
performance and security of 3D facial recognition at the
edge, addressing privacy concerns and eliminating latency
typically associated with cloud-based alternatives.
To complement the i.MX RT117F crossover processors for
development, Mouser is also stocking the SLN-VIZN3D-IOT
development kit. The kit implements an onboard i.MX RT117F
processor for secure facial recognition with 3D liveness
detection and features fully integrated turnkey software for
quick out-of-the-box operation. Additionally, the kit includes
an available remote registration capability to allow end-users
to register their faces from mobile devices.
Click for More Information

Blind-mate coax NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
Mouser Electronics, industry's leading New Product
Introduction (NPI) distributor with the widest selection
of semiconductors and electronic components, is now
stocking blind-mate coaxial products from
TE Connectivity.

TE's blind-mate coaxial products support a frequency range

of 1.6GHz to 67GHz and have testing capabilities of up
to 128 ports. This portfolio includes solutions from SMP/
SMPM, test probes, multi-port, and massive coaxial, enabling
use in a wide range of applications. These products feature
a durable single-click connection that is tested to 10,000
installation cycles, a robust and heavy-duty design, and
provide RF testing and signal sampling in space-restricted
spaces with minimal visibility.

TE's blind-mate coaxial products are suitable for test and

measurement, aerospace and defense, production line
testing, and telecommunication applications.

Click for More Information

www.mouser.com January 2023 39

NEWS MOUSER NEWS FEATURES FOCUS NEW PRODUCTS

20,000+ products from TDK

An authorized global distributor of solutions from TDK
Corporation, Mouser offers customers over 20,000
parts in stock from TDK and its companies EPCOS,
InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics, and TDK-Lambda.

These include a wide range of products covering

semiconductors, optoelectronics, sensors, and passive
components. The following are just a few of the TDK
products available from Mouser:

μPOL™ DC-DC power modules are compact and highly

integrated point-of-load converters. The high-current-density
power modules provide the high performance, fast load
transient response, and high-accuracy voltage regulation
needed to power CPUs, MCUs, ASICs, FPGAs, DSPs, and
other advanced digital logic devices. µPOL converters
feature a chip-embedded power IC in a thermally enhanced
semiconductor-embedded-in-substrate package.

EPCOS CLT32 automotive-grade power inductors are suitable
for safety-critical automotive applications in advanced
driver-assistance systems (ADAS). These AEC-Q200-certified
components feature a small footprint of 3.2mm × 2.5mm
and an insertion height of 2.5mm.
The WCT wireless charging coil features pattern coil technology
that reduces thickness to cover a larger charging area in a single
cell. This design, combined with TDK’s proprietary magnetic
material, reduces the coil thickness to 0.76mm.
Click for More Information

Ultra-wideband for IIoT uses NEW PRODUCT

at mouser.com
The DWM3001C 6.5GHz and 8.0GHz ultra-wideband
(UWB) module from Qorvo® is designed to accelerate
Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) applications for
tags, access control, asset tracking and secure bubble
environments.

This fully integrated module streamlines UWB implementation

in applications such as factory and warehouse automation
and security systems and provides high-precision, real-time
location for healthcare staff and patient applications, retail
security, connected home, navigation and more.

Available at Mouser Electronics, the DWM3001C, is a fully
integrated UWB module and certified (FCC, ETSI and IC)
integrated modem solution to simplify UWB implementation
in systems using a standard low-power microcontroller.
The DWM3001C features adjustable data rates from 850
kbps to 6.8Mbps, with maximum packet lengths of 1023
bytes for high-data-throughput applications. The module
integrates the DW3110 transceiver IC, Nordic Semiconductor
nRF52833 Bluetooth® Low Energy SoC, a planar UWB
antenna, accelerometer, power management and crystal —
all bundled together to improve design cycle duration.
The Qorvo DWM3001C module’s RF design is fully tested
and calibrated to offer low power consumption for battery-
powered applications.
The DWM3001C UWB is compliant with the IEEE
802.15.4z standard and developed in accordance with
the FiRa Consortium PHY and MAC specifications and
Car Connectivity Consortium (CCC) specifications. The
DWM3001C module can be used in two-way ranging (TWR)
or time difference of arrival (TDoA) applications and is also
interoperable with the Apple U1 chip (Beta Evaluation).
Mouser also offers the DWM3001CDK development kit,
which enables designers to evaluate hardware performance
as a TWR or TDoA tag and to build an evaluation real-
time location system (RTLS). An on-board J-Link debugger
provides SWD and UART interfaces to the DWM3001C.
Click for More Information

40 January 2023 www.mouser.com

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