January 2024 Issue 332 Vol, No.29 Te RO a RR ee coe oR PLE Sg \ THE MOST POPULAR ELECTRONICS MONTHLY MAGAZINE [> _WHF17-More Tan dust Enrent ih Tous © Attacks onl devices using Buetooy = Digilkey a See inside for more details.Sometimes it's not about millions of parts. Sometimes it comes down to just one very specific part to keep your design moving forward. Chances are we have that part, and quite a few more when you need them. Re eke LCV UCL Ce eee See aie ce Peas ct) ELECTRONICS a BETTER i Mi Pee Cer eee ran) INDIA REGION 6 MONTH INDUSTRY NETWORKING EVENT TERETE ‘Jan 22-25 o Tears ETE July 25 ‘Technical Session - Hand Soldering Wintercom - Global Standards Development Meetings Technical Session - Hand Soldering Standard Development Meeting Technical Session - Hand Soldering Technical Session - Digitalization & Sustainability of Electronics Manufacturing IEMI ROAD SHOW Technical Session - Hand Soldering Technical Session - Importance of Design in Electronics Manufacturing Technical Session - Hand Soldering & Sponsor Presentation Technical Session - Best Practice on PCB Manufacturing & Electronics Assembly Hand Soldering Competition IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Technical Session - Hand Soldering (Vendor Development Program) Technical Session - Hand Soldering Presentation > Electrical Wire Processing Technology Expo 2024 Hand Soldering Competition Hand Soldering Competition Technical Session - Hand Soldering Hand Soldering Competition Hand Soldering Competition Technical Session - Hand Soldering (Vendor Development Program) Technical Session - Hand Soldering Technical Session - Hand Soldering Technical Session - Hand Soldering B2B Meetings, Malaysia Hand Soldering Competition & World Wire Harness Competition > IEMI- Advanced Packaging of Semiconductor 2B Meetings with international Delegates & ‘Standard Development Meeting IEMI - Defense & Aerospace © Kolkatta, West Bengal 9 Barcelona, Spain 9 Baddi, © Bengaluru, Karnataka jachal Pradesh © Mysore, Karnataka © Hyderabad, Telabgana 9 Penang, Malaysia 9 Colombo, Sri Lanka 9 Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 9 Goa 9 Hosur, Tamil Nadu 9 Chennai, Tamil Nadu @ Anaheim, USA © Kanpur, Utta Pradesh © Gandhinagar, Gujarat 9 Milwaukee, USA 9 Pune, Maharashtra 9 New Del 9 Johanesburg, South Africa 9 sydney, Austrailia © Bengaluru, Karnataka © Vizag, Andhra Pradesh 9 Abu Dhabi, UAE 9 Dubai, UAE © Thirwvananthapuram, Kerala 9 Penang, Malaysia 9 Penang, Malaysia © Bengaluru, Karnataka 9 Bengaluru, Karnataka 2 = ers BCU enaThe key to unrestricted access | rE N TS Explore millions of components for your next design ‘THE MOST POPULAR ELECTRONICS MONTHLY MAGAZINE lane kv How to Quickly Boost Power Tans CoM vs Tech News from USB: to 100 watts with = Minimal Programming Proaty Bhaskar on and Tends in Power Semiconductors for lei Cas Wi re Than Just tat uta emely igh Throughput (XA DISTRIBUTOR a Navigating Groh, Tends, nd mova ST Wiss aS Webs iTS Shankar, Sales Die rae (I Vist Unvedhar nalog Devices Sensor fie, rere Protas Seniee Tent 2470700 Semen 2024 Prediction in storage technology, an the word, part 1 ner Mohan Vs 4 a Regulars i +06 ‘aw in — .. a 4 FMM ETsanaie (hue euch le a Macs che Na Roma a Te cee eat tel th 334 can ty : ' eee Mee uaa fee mae nC ELECTRONICS wee eee eee mouser.in (080-4265-0000 | india@mo2D In-Memory Processor with Over 1000 Transistors °F cae. _ Ingestible electronic device detects breathing depression in patients D bes seeocprec vwoly AQOF £0 requir non inastep hooked ve semiconductor industry Photonic chip that ‘fits together like Lego' opens THERE'S A KEYSTONE Pe Se Tea eH UE POS econ aera cum Ce CMe Om a ete ec eT a! electronics have to sustain their individual energy sources with one of two types of batteries: non: See er Ree etcetera ee ue es and rechargeable batteries, which can continually provide energy after being energized. From its origins by French physicist Gaston Planté in 1859, rechargeable battery technology has advanced to include various chemistries such as Nickel-metal Hydride (NiMH), Nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd), Lithiunion and Lithium-ion Polymers. (i SON Ra OR Re Ro eR Meee ames et) as the featured Coil Spring Battery Contacts, as well as * Coin Cell Battery Contacts, Holders and Retainers * Lithiumon Contacts & Holders * Fuse Clips & Holders LED Spacers & Lens Caps * Multi-Purpose Hardware MUR Ree Dee it eee cee rd NT Eee Rae ey ODOR Le et COPE a) an)TENG Baa Ea) technology significantly expands radio-frequency (RF) bandwidth and the ability to accurately control information flowing through the unit Expanded bandwidth means more information can flow through the chip and the inclusion of photonics o advanced filer controls, creating a versatile new semiconduct device Researchers expect the chip will have applications in advanced radar, sotellite systems, wireless networks and the roll-out of 6G and 76 telecommunications ond also open the door to advanced sovereign manufacturing. tt Iso assist in the creation ch value-add factories es like Western Sydney's Aerotropo! The chip is built using an emerging technology in sili photonics that allows the integration of diverse systems on semiconductors less than 5 millimeters wide. Pro-Vice- Chancellor (Reseorch) Professor Ben Eggleton, who guides the research team, likened it to filing together Lego building blocks, where new materials ore integrated through advanced packaging of components, using electronic "chiplets The research for this invention has been published in Noture Communication: Recyclable organic flexible ied by Professor Kyoseung Sim in the Department of Chemistry at (08) electronics maker + Janwory UNIST has achieved a milestone in sustainable wearable Their cutting-edge method enables closed-loop recycling of ‘organic electronic materials, nvironmental addressing concerns and paving the way for «sustainable future in the electronic device industry. The synthesis of organi historically been associated with hazardous solvents, to products, and significant environmental and economic ing research has unlocked the potential for recycling and repurposing organic conductors, semiconductors, and gate dielectrics in an eco-friendly and ly viable manner. The closed-loop recycling, introduced by the research team, ly solvents, such as water, anisole, incorporates eco-r ‘and acetone, throughout the fabrication on ea reliance on harmful recycling By eliminating the this innovation represents a significant stride towards sustainable manufacturing and recycling practices for organic flexible electronic devices. Scientists Develop More Efficient Way to Transmit Data Between Devices esearchers ot the U.K's Univer ‘ated a lowe! ity of Sussex have method for transmitting data at close range while maintaining high throughput using electric rather than electromagne' The method could pove the woy for a re Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 5G, which rely on battery-hungry electromagnetic modulation. -ement for Electric field modulation uses short-range el offering a more eff connect devices that consumes significo Bluetooth and allows for longer tly less power than battery life University of Sussex's Daniel en said, "The technology is low-cost, meaning it could be rolled out to society quickly ond easily. Roy atte TS eo aa te) tla ky ee eeTEMMO fates a Semiconductor giants race to make next generation of cutting-edge chips he world’s leading semiconductor companies are racing to make so-called “2 nanometre” processor chips that will power the next generation of smariphones, dato centres and arrificial intelligence Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company remains the analysts’ favourite to maintain its global supremacy in the sector, but Samsung Electronics and Intel have identified the industry's next leop forward as a chance to close the gop, For decades, chipmakers have sought fo moke ever more compact products. The smaller the transistors on a chip, the lower the energy consumption aand the higher their speed. Today, terms such as “2 nanometre" and "3 nanometre” are widely used os shorthand for each new generation of chip, rather than a semiconductor’s actual physical dimensions. TSMC, which dominates the global market in processors, electronics maker + lonvary2024 + (10) has already shown the process test results for its "N2” — or 2 nanometre — prototypes to some of its biggest customers, including Apple and Nvidia, according to two people with direct knowledge of the discussions. But two people close to Samsung said the Korean chipmaker was offering cut-price versions of its latest 2 nanometre prototypes in an effort to attract the interest of big-name customers including Nvidia. Superatomic Semiconductor Sets a Speed Record Girt ticery particularly silicon, are fundamental to the operation of various electronic devices such as computers, cellphones, and the device you're currently using Despite their widespread use, semiconductors have inherent constraints. The atomic structure of these materials is subject to vibrations, resulting in the generation of quantum particles known as phonons. These phonons lead to scattering of the particles — either electrons or electron-hole pairs termed excitons — responsible for tronsporting energy and information in electronic devices. The scattering occurs over extremely small distances (nonometers) and brief time spans (femtosecond), causing energy dissipation as heat and imposing a limit on the speed of information transfer. The search is on for better options. Weiting in Science, @ team of chemists at Columbia University led by Jack Tulyag, 0 PhD student working with chemistry professor Milan Delor, describes the fastest and most efficient semiconductor yet: a superatomic material called Re6Se8CI2 Rather than scattering when they come into contact with phonons, excitons in Re6Se8C12 actually bind with phonons to create new quosiparicles colled acoustic exciton-polarons. Although polarons are found in many materials, those in Re6SeBCI2 have a special property: they are capable of ballistic, or scatter-free, flow. This ballistic behavior could mean faster and more efficient devices one doy. This 3D printer can watch itself fabricate objects With 30 init rinting systems, engineers con fabricate hybrid structures that have soft and rigid components, ike robotic grippers that are strong enough to grasp heavy objecis but soft enough to interact safely with humans. These multimaterial 3D STM32CO0 "Your next 8-bit MCU is a 32-bit It's called STM32CO! yy The STM32CO, ST's most affordable 32-bit microcontroller, makes 32- bit capabilities accessible to all developers. Why choose the STM32CO microcontrollers? STM32 breaks the cost barrier to the 32-bit world. Bridging the gap between 8- or 16-bit microcontrollers ‘and higher performance 32-bit microcontrollers, the STM32CO provides access to the benefits of STM32 designs. Powered by the indusiry-standard Arm® Cortex®-MO+ core running at 48 MHz, the STM32CO lets developers do more with less. Applications ‘STM32C0 Portfolio. ash amor sie RAM se + Smart homes + indistial devices. ran wavien a a 2 Le Lee 2 8S SR RS Bh atte uten ons 5 Go Development tools for the STM32C0 series | oy Sere cna) Plot No 1, Knowledge Park, : Greater Noida 201308, 3 erent : coer eet 3TEAMOWET nas Ea printing systems utilize thousands of nozzles to deposit tiny droplets of resin, which are smoothed with a scraper or roller and cured with UV light. But the smoothing process could squish Cor smear resins that cure slowly, limiting the types of materials that can be used Researchers from MIT, the MIT spinout Inkbit, and ETH Zurich have developed o new 3D inkjet printing system that works with a much wider range of materials. Their printer utilizes computer vision to automatically scan the 3D printing surface and adjust the amount of resin each nozzle deposits in real-time to ensure no areas have too much oF too little material Since it does not require mechanical parts to smooth the resin, this contactless system works with materials that cure more slowly than the acrylates which ore traditionally used in 3D printing. Some slower-curing material chemistries can offer improved performance over acrylates, such os greater elasticity, durability, or longevity. In addition, the automatic system makes adjustments without stopping or slowing the printing process, moking this production-grade printer about 660 times faster than comparable 3D inkjet printing system: The researchers used this printer to create complex, robotic devices that combine soft cond rigid materials. For example, they made o completely 3D-printed robotic ‘gripper shaped like a human hand and controlled by a set of reinforced, yet flexible, tendons. World's first universal metasurface antenna for high- security 6G communications research team led by Professor Chan Chi-hou, Chair Professor of Electronic Engineering at City University of Hong Kong (CityU), achieved an unprecedented advance in ontenna technology by making possible the manipulation of all five fundamental properties of electromagnetic waves through software control. In 0 world first, the teom developed o universal metasurface antenna that ollows the independent and simultaneous manipulation of ‘amplitude, phase, frequency, polarization and direction of electromagnetic radiation. "A universal component capable of manipulating all the fundamental wave properties is the Holy Grail for physicists ond engineers," said Professor Chan, who is also Director of the Stole Key Laboratory of Terahertz and Millimeter Waves (SKLTMW). AAs research on 6G wireless communication systems progresses worldwide, the universal metasurface antenna holds immense potential for various applications in 6G systems. lis advanced waveform manipulation capobilities and enhanced security features ore crucial for integrating sensing ond communications The universal metasurface antenna can be used for next- generation, large-capacity, high- security information systems, real-ime imaging, ond wireless power transfer. The antenno's inherent direction modulation properties also enhance privacy cand security, making it an ideal candidate for eavesdropper- proof communications. The poper, titled "A universal metasurlace antenna to manipulate all fundamental characteristics of electromagnetic waves," was published online in Nature ‘Communications. It’s not the survival of the fittest... PCRS TOC RO) MEL (ee » Live WIRE Electronics 180 9001:2015 COMPANY LWI Electronics Inc. 62, 14th Cross, | Block, R.T. Nagar, Bangalore 560032, India Tel/Fax: +91-80-23530578, 23540578, 23633578, 23541578, 23541579 Branch Office Fax: +91-80-23539578 Cell: +91-9844048366, 9901499900, 984400361 1, 9901199900 : Email: sales@livewireinfo.com ClaC! wwwlivewireinfo.com ==. For jobs/career contact: hr@livewireinfo.com [Live Wire. ing) == sy \Group:\World ocean) » = iSCover Story ith technological innovations occurring each passing day, the automotive indusiry has witnessed rapid transformations. Earlier, auto manufacturers used to try hard to install vehicles with advanced technology. But the level of technology and tech- enabled services in today's models is such that the ecosystem is witnessing a realignment. This change hos opened new avenues for the industry os smart technology shifts towards battery-operated vehicles. The automotive industry is undergoing a paradigm shift, attempting to make a quick transition fo alternative energy sources. India, being part of the electronics maker + loowar)2024 + (14) Courtesy: Polar Semiconductor The dawn of the electric vehicle (EV) era has ushered in an exciting period of transformation in the automotive industry. As electric cars continue to gain traction, their underlying technology has become a focal point of innovation. At the heart of this transformation lies power semiconductor technology, a critical component that determines the efficiency, performance, and sustainability of EVs. In this exploration of innovations and trends in power semiconductor technology for electric vehicles, we'll dive into the key developments shaping the future of the EV market. vewmlocronicsmoliercom HAMMOND. 1554 IP68 polycarbonate Learn more: www.hammondmfg.com/1554 = PN KeR: PUBLICATIONS Auto) Tiroler! | Theatre Anan Tore Ie electronics maker + lenuory 2024 + (15)Cover Story Electric Compressors (EV) Power Inverters (EV) Battery Sensors (°V) Head Light Controls Power Steering Cooling Fan Engine Sensors Motor Control some league, has been making several ottempts to move chead with modem policies to deal with the accompanying growth in auiomobiles and shifi fo electric mobiliy after considering vorious factors such os the hossle of cil imports, globel climate change issues, scarcity of natural resources, attainment of sustainability, pollution, and others The Government of India has proposed several changes to the Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989, to encourage eleciric mobility in India, India aspires to become a significant global vehicle market, with several automakers and start-ups working on relevant segments cand tech-enabled gears EV Adoption In India, the growth of e mobility requires the mandatory installation of EV charging stations. However, the charging infrastructure is o critical factor in determining the country's EV adoption possibilities. Since EVs run on batteries, the massive operation of the vehicle leads to Alternator Transmission Speed Sensors ignition Systems Fuel Injection Throttle Control Interior LEDs Seat Belt Sensors Multimedia Systems * Fuel Pump 2 Control Suspension ABS/EPHB Power Doors Power Windows Power Sunroof the requirement of recharging the batteries. This also depends ‘on the size and copacily of the battery ‘As a result, charging stations are essential for the long-term operation of electric vehicles. In one of its reports, NITI Aayog has estimated o high possibility of India having a high level of electric vehicle penetration by 2030. While the transformational push for electric vehicles is 0 great initiative adopted worldwide, it brings with ito plethora of opportunities and challenges. There are a lot of global manufacturers, who have already taken their first move to moke the transition to EVs a reality on a large scale. These industry giants hove expressed optimism about the growth of elecitic vehicles and charging stations in India. The Role of Power Semiconductor Semiconductors, the unsung heroes of modern electronics, are indispensable for electric vehicles. These finy but mighty components facilitate the conversion of electrical energy from the battery into power that drives the vehicle's motor. They also play a crucial role in managing energy efficiency, motor control, and the overall performance of electric cars Newer EVs can contain upwards of 3,000 semiconductors! There's also an infographic that shows oll the systems and opplications theyre involved in throughout o modern vehicle, so be sure to check that out as well. Now, let's delve into the most innovative trends that ‘are propelling the power semiconductor technology landscape for electric vehicles. 5 Trends in Power Semiconductors for Electric Cars 1. Wider Usage of Wide-Bandgap (WBG) Devices Wide-bandgop semiconductor materials, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), have emerged as gome-changers in the world of power electronics. These materials possess superior electrical properties, including higher breakdown voltage and faster switching capabilities. This means they can handle higher power levels while maintaining efficiency, making them ideal for EVs. Wide-bandgop devices have started to replace traditional silicon-based semiconductors in EV power conversion systems. SiC ond GoN offer lower switching losses and reduced heat generation, leading to increased efficiency ‘ond longer driving ranges. As a result, electric vehicles equipped with WBG devices experience sewmelecronicsmoletcom O/E/N SOLAR PV SMART METER AREGD. OFFICE: 51/129, VTTILA, ERNAKULAM, 682 019, KERALA, INDIA PHONE: (+91) 484 7183120, 2201132 & 2303709 ‘AN ISO 9001, IATE 16949, 1S0 14001, I$0 45001 Company E-Nall sales @oeninda.com, Webst: www ening com Factries: Koch erla & Pune, MatarasiraCover Story less energy wastage and can travel farther on a single charge. 2. Increased Switching Frequencies The electrification of vehicles hos led to a shift towards higher switching frequencies in power semiconductor devices. This trend is particularly prominent in motor drive inverters, which are essential for controlling the speed and direction of the electric motor. Higher switching frequencies allow for finer control over the motor, resulting in smoother and more precise acceleration and deceleration. This not only enhances driving comfort but also contributes to energy efficiency. The rapid switching of semiconductors reduces power losses, making electric vehicles more energy- efficient and extending their battery life 3. The Introduction of New Alternative Semiconductor Materials In the quest for further innovation, researchers and manufacturers are exploring alternative semiconductor materials beyond the conventional choices of silicon, SiC, and GaN. One such material gaining attention is synthetically produced diamond Diamond semiconductors offer remarkable thermal conductivity and electrical properties, making them ideal for high-power applications in electric vehicles. With the ability to dissipate heat efficiently, diamond semiconductors can withstand higher operating temperatures. This translates to improved power density ond longer lifespans for EV components. electronics maker » January 2024 + (18) While diamond semiconductors are sill in the research and development phase, their potential to revolutionize power electronics for electric vehicles is undeniable. They could pove the way for even more compact and energy-efficient systems in the neor future. 4, Enhanced Packaging Technologies Innovations in power semiconductor packaging technologies are another crucial trend in the EV industry. As power electronics become more iniegrated and compoct, the need for efficient cooling and heat management is poramount. Advanced packaging solutions, such as silicon inierposers and direct liquid cooling, are being adopted to ‘address the challenges of thermal management. These technologies ensure that power semiconductor devices can ‘operate at optimal efficiency even under high-load conditions, Moreover, enhanced packaging techniques contribute to the miniaturization of power electronics, freeing up space within the vehicle for other components or improving cerodynamics. This trend oligns with the automotive industry's ‘ongoing pursuit of lighter, more efficient, and longer-range electric vehicles. 5. Development of Intelligent and Adaptive Semiconductors Electric vehicles are not just bout driving from point A to point B-they are evolving into intelligent mobility platforms. To help support the development of ‘autonomous and connected vehicles, semiconductors are becoming more intelligent and odoptive. Semiconductor monufacturers are incorporating advanced sensors and control algorithms directly into their power semiconductor devices This enables real-time monitoring of the vehicle's performance and environmental conditions. As a result, semiconductors con adjust their ‘operating parameters to moximize efficiency and safety For example, semiconductors can adapt to various driving conditions, ‘optimizing power delivery for increased range in adverse weather or terrain. They con also contribute to predictive maintenance, identifying potential issues before they become critical. Power Semiconductors are shaping the Future of Transportation The innovations and trends in power semiconductor technology for electric vehicles ‘re steering the automotive industry toward a cleaner, more efficient, and more intelligent future. With the adoption of these power semiconductor trends, EVs are set to become the standard for sustainable and high-performance transportation. As the electric vehicle londscape continues to evolve, the power semiconductor industry will remain at the forefront of innovation. The ‘question is no longer, Do electric cars use semiconductors? I's how these semiconductors are propelling us into a new era of mobility ‘ nncelectronicsmakeecom Bone Microcontroller Technology 2023 Navigating Growth, Trend The Heart of Innovation: What Exactly Is a Microcontroller? Atthe heart of digital devices lies what is a microcontroller-o compact integrated circuit designed to govern specific operations within an electronic system. Unlike general-purpose processors, these specialized microcontroller CPUs are optimized for responsive and reliable control in dedicated applications. These diminutive powerhouses are instrumental in advancing loT and edge computing, with microcontroller technology enabling more sophisticated functionalities as ‘our gadgets gain intelligence ‘and connectivity. For professionals in the field, a amtelectronicemakencom Suber The microcontroller technology landscape presents a myriad of opportunities for electronic engineers and procurement managers. This crucial segment of the electronics sector is the foundation of various applications, from everyday smart appliances to the cutting-edge realm of driverless vehicles. profound comprehension of microcontroller capabilities is indispensable to navigate the evolving tech horizon and to capitalize on its potential This article presents an in- depth analysis of the current state of the microcontroller market, its growth potential, the challenges it faces, and the innovations that are shaping its future. Behind the Surge: What's Fueling Microcontroller Growth? The microcontroller industry is poised for robust growth, fueled by the burgeoning demand for smart technology, the explosive proliferation of loT devices, and transformative developments in automotive electronics. electronics maker + Janucry 2024 + (19)Bindysery Key Forces Shaping the Future of Microcontroller Tech loT Expansion: The exponential rise in loT devices underscores the increased demand for microcontroller technology. Automotive Innovation: The push for advanced electronic systems in the automotive industry is propelling the need for sophisticated microcontroller CPUs. Energy Efficiency: As the world focuses on sustainability, the demand for energy-efficient microcontrollers soars. lonsymer Electronics: Microcontroller technology is at the forefront of driving smarter consumer electronics. Industry 4.0 and Microelectromechanical Systems: The integration of microelectromechonical systems (MEMS) with microcontrollers is revolutionizing industrial automation, leading to smarter and more precise control systems. Navigating Through Pandemics and Beyond: Microcontrollers in New Normals The pandemic initially disrupted the morket but eventually accelerated the adoption of microcontroller- dependent technologies like remote health solutions and teleworking setups, signaling market resilience, The Frontier of Microcontroller Evolution: Miniaturization and Beyond Minioturization: The trend towards increasingly smaller yet more powerful microcontroller electronics maker + lonvory2024 + (20) units (MCUs) is unmistakeble. Feature Integration: Modern microcontrollers, such as the STM32 and MSP430, now routinely incorporate advanced features lke wireless communication and robust security protocols Market Segmentation: There is a growing trend towards developing specialized microcontrollers, such as the ATTiny85 and STM32F103, tailored for niche applications Smart Manufacturing: Technological advancements in production have led to more cost-effective and efficient manufacturing of MCUs. Sustoinobilty Eflorts: The industry is witnessing o significant push towards edopting eco-friendly manufacturing processes. This rapid advancement in microcontroller technology reflects its versatility ond the fechnology and market forces driving its evolution. From Cars to Kitchens: The Wide World of Microcontroller Applications Microcontrollers come in various architectures, such as 8- bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit, with each offering different levels of processing power and energy consumption 8-Bit: Simple and cost- effective, suitable for basic control tasks, 16-Bit: These microcontrollers, like the MSP430, strike o balance between complexity and power efficiency. 32-Bit: High-performance MCUs like the STM32F103 and those based on the ARM Cortex corchitecture ore increasingly sought after for complex copplications across advanced consumer electronics, automotive technology, and loT devices. The applications of ‘microcontrollers are widespread: Automotive: Crucial for innovations in electric ond self- driving cars. Consumer Electronics: Essentiol in perpetually evolving smart devices. Industrial Automation and MEMS: Microelectromechanical systems integrated with microcontrollers are vital for the next phase of industrial ‘oulomation, Healthcare: Increasingly crucial for advanced medical equipment. ‘Communications: Integral for managing communications in on interconnected digital ecosystem Smart Homes/loT: Devices like the ATTiny85 serve as the backbone of smart home functionalities and loT systems. The Asia-Pacific region leads due to its manufacturing dominance and investments in technology, North America is ot the forefront of developing high- end MCU produets, while Europe is focused on automotive innovations and industrial ‘outomation, Economic variables, including supply chain disruptions, can impact microcontroller pricing and covailabilty. One response to this is exploring supply chain diversification and digital procurement solutions. Staying Ahead in the MCU Race: Key Players and Market Strategies Leading companies such as Microchip Technology, Infineon ewmlecronicsmalercom Technologies, NXP Renesas, Texas Instruments, and STMicroelectronics are influential in the microcontroller industry, driving innovation with R&D and strategic alliances. The ARM Cortex-based MCUs ore ‘especially prevalent due to their versatile and efficient architecture. Professional Development Insights For Engineers: Keeping Pace with Microcontroller Advances: As microcontroller technology continues fo evolve, ‘engineers must stay chead of the curve by keeping abreast of ‘emerging trends and developing skills that are vital for the future of design and application. With the burgeoning loT landscape, expertise in wireless ‘communication protocols such 108 Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and Zigbee is becoming indispensable. Engineers should olso focus on mastering embedded system design, energy-efficient ‘computing, and cybersecurity measures to protect against increasing threats to smart devices. Proficiency in programming languages like C/C++ remains crucial, but there's also a growing demand for knowledge in higher-level languages like Python, especially in edge computing scenarios. Familiarity with RTOS (Real-Time Operating Systems) and understanding of snnncolectronicsmakarcom Al integration in microcontroller- bosed applications ore key skills that can set an engineer apart in ‘the current market. For Procurement Managers: Mastering the Art of MCU Sourcing: Procurement managers in the microcontroller space must navigate a volatile market with ‘agility. Developing strategic sourcing stralegies is paramount, considering the recent disruptions in the global supply chain. A keen eye on marke! forecasts and establishing relationships with multiple suppliers con mitigate risks associated with single- source dependencies. Embracing digital procurement solutions ond ‘advanced analytics can provide real-time insights into market trends and supply chain dynamics, leading to more informed decision-making, Additionolly, investing in supply choin diversification and exploring localization where feasible can ensure continuity in times of international trade uncertainties or logistic disruptions. Shaping the Future with Microcontroller Mastery ‘As we navigate through the swiftly evolving landscape of microcontroller technology, the importance of staying informed and adaptable cannot be GBinaysery overstressed. For electronic engineers, the relentless pace of novation demands commitment to lifelong learning and a passion for exploring new frontiers in technology. A deep understanding of microcontrollers not only powers the gadgets and systems we rely con daily but also propels the breokthroughs that define tomorrow's smart world Procurement managers, on the other hand, must hone their slrategies to thrive in the dynamic market of microcontrollers. By anticipating shifts, diversifying supply chains, and leveraging digital tools, they can sleer their organizations through the uncertainties of global markets and ensure a steady supply of these critical components. ‘As the heartbeat of modem electronics, microcontroller technology will continue fo be o pivotal field, ripe with challenges and brimming with opportunities. Whether it's through the sophisticated copabilifes of an ARM Cortex: powered device or the simple efficiency of an ATTiny85, ‘microcontrollers will remain central fo innovation. I's up to fodoys professionals to harness this potential, drive growth, and shope the future-one circuit at a time: Embracing the transformative wave of microcontroller technology isn't just about understanding the ‘what’ and ‘how'-i's about envisioning the ‘what next’ and making i reality. With a keen eye on market trends, 0 robust set of skills, ond a proactive approach to challenges, engineers ond procurement managers alike can not only keep pace with the microcontroller evolution but also lead it . electronics maker + lanuory 2024+ (21)Radar - The Next-Generation Sensor for the Smart Home, Connected Office, and Personal Wellness —_ Edmund Neo, Director, Product Marketing, Infineon riginally invented in 1935, radar was used during WWI as part of British air defense to save lives Recently, advances in radar research have mode it possible to bring this technology into the home, office, hospital, and even car. Combined with today's high- speed, highly integrated, ond feature-rich microcontroller units (MCUs), cost-effective radar is avoilable for a new generation of exciting applications. Radar vs PIR. Passive infrared (PIR) is a commonly used range sensor offering o good field of view (FOV) ond low power operation. However, it has several limitations that increase cost and electronics maker + January 2024 + (22) reduce its usefulness. For example, o PIR-based sensor requires a lens to focus light through, increasing sensor size ‘ond manufacturing complexity Infrared also cannot see through walls or objects. One of the primary limitations of a PIR sensor is that it requires exaggerated motion to trigger. For example, a person scrolling on his or her phone will not be detected. Thus, a PIR- base sensor used fo control lights may turn the lights off if o person in the room is engaged in a quiet activity, like scrolling or reading and not moving. Additionally, PIR sensors do not detect velocity, so they cant distinguish between a person walking towards the sensor or ‘away from it Radar has much greater sensitivity than PIR and other motion sensing technologies. Radar can also sense distance, velocity, and angle. With this information, radar can infer the difference between a person, animal, robot, or even an object moving in the wind. Rador, with continuing advances in machine learning, is also able to recognize gestures with @ high degree of accuracy. Because radar con detect even the smallest motion, including vital signs, @ person who is not coclively moving can still be sensed. Thus, a radar-based sensor can accurately sense ‘presence’ so thot lights will never be tuned OFF when someone is vvmlecronicsmalercom Contact Vital Sensing with BGET60TR13C radar Figure 1: Radar technology canbe used to actively detect i an elder has fallen and confim thir vials to determine if help needs tobe sent vou the elder having to be conscious or abe to press an alert button, inthe room, no matter what they ore doing. ‘As radar waves penetrate all non-conductive materials, itis also possible to sense through industrial design materials, such as plostic. This means thot besides providing “atiractive" industrial design possibilities, radar can also sense objects behind a blanket, a piece of furniture, and even walls in the home or office, which has several major benefits For example, with PIR, the product must be designed around the sensor and lens so that the lens is unobstructed. As «© result, users will be able fo see the lens, limiting the product's final design, shape, and appeal. Because radar can see through moteriols, rador-based sensors can be hidden in the end product, allowing product design flexibility and for users to be more ot ease. Radar is also environmentally resilient. Radar works in sun, dark, and all other snmncolectronicsmatarcom lighting conditions. It is robust to fog, dust, and temperature as well. Furthermore, radar sensors do not require maintenance like other sensors do, significantly reducing operational costs. Radar and Wellness Radar is actually sensitive enough to recognize a person's chest movement during respirotion and can be used to monitor vital signs (see Figure 1). For example, radar is currently utilized in @ contactless sleep monitoring device to track personal wellness, including to cid with sleep apneo. Using software to process the rador signal, a person's breath rate ‘ond heart rate can be accurately tracked. As @ contactless ®) Se ecu aN - Figure 2: For power savings, radar can accurately rack where people are located to optimize activating devices le the Samsung Frame TV model 2020 (shawn) or puting them back to sleep. electronics maker + lanuory 2024 + (23)rs Radar sensor for smart devices - huge energy-saving potential nny tn “tne aarcay cnet ‘crease pe Figure 3: The potential power savings of controling consumer electronics through presence sensors Ike radar is remendous. &e sa eee ea ieee Figure 4: To assist OEMs in developing next-generation radar-enabled devices, Infineon XENSIV ine of 60 GH and 24 GHz radar sensors oe a valet of transmit and receive ‘combinations, many with Antenna-n-Package (AI), to meet the needs of diferent applications. Figure 5: With the BGTEOTR12C radar sensor rom Infineon, even the most advanced sensing ‘smart device applications become possibe solution, radar can be used to monitor the well-being of babies and children as they sleep. Radar is also being used in a variety of safely applications. By detecting presence in a vehicle, the cor con alert a driver electronics maker + lanvory2024 + (24) if they hove left « child or pet behind when they leave. Radar has also increased safety in elder care situations, such os tracking © person to make sure they are active without requiring cameras that compromise their privacy. The some technology can be used fo actively detect if on elder has fallen and confirm their vitals to determine if help needs to be sent without the elder having to be conscious or able fo press on alert button. Radar in the Smart Home and Connected Office Today, radar is already in the home and office to improve the user experience, Rador- enabled thermostats can be oclivated by user proximity and support gesture control. When combined with @ security camera, the camera activates only when the radar sensor detecis presence (i.., both someone moving or standing sil) inside the orea of coverage. This results in greater accuracy by reducing the number of false olarms. For power savings, including smart lighting, TVs, ‘ond even laptops, radar can coccurately track where people are located to optimize ocivating devices or pulting them back fo sleep (see Figure 2), With the ability to see through walls, radar-based sensors can turn lights on when © person approaches a room, rather than forcing them to stand in the doorway waiting for the lights to activate, With location ‘racking, presence and vacancy detection can be enhanced fo control the environment based ‘on where people are actually located. For example, airflow from the A/C could be directed way from where people ore sitting. And a home network of radar-enabled devices could provide everything from possive lighting control fo gesture control of devices throughout the smart network to advanced elder care capabilites. vem elecronicsmalietcom The potential power sovings of consumer electronics through smart control is tremendous. For example, assume the average smart house has 5 devices controlled with radar sensors, leading to 100 Wh saved per device per day by turning off lights ond TVs when they are not actively being used. This leads to potential savings of 0.5 kWh per day, or ~5% of the entire household energy consumption. Put in terms of 300 million smart homes worldwide, the savings would be ~55 TWh per year (see Figure 3) To assist OEMs in developing next-generation radar-enabled devices, Infineon has created the XENSIVIM product line of 60 GHz and 24 Giz radar sensors (see Figure 4). These sensors offer a variety of transmit and receive combinations to meet the needs of different applications. Many of these offerings have Antenna- in-Package (AIP), greatly simplifying design and manufacturing. With the BGT60TR13C, even the most ‘advanced smart device sensing opplications become possible (see Figure 5). All XENSIVIM radar producis are supported by development kits, advanced software tools, and compatible Whi with Infineon PSoCsTM MCUs. Infineon is excited about the possibilities for radar within the home, office, car and for wellness. With contactless inleraction and greater sensitivity, rador ensures a better user experience without intruding ‘on privacy. Working together with our partners, we look forward to enabling innovative ‘ond intuitive sensing capabilities fo more applications. To learn more about how radar can provide nex!- generation sensing capabilities for your smart applications, visit Infineon.com/sensors. . EM GROUP Wal era at WL PLUK LS snmcolectronicsmatarcom electronics maker + January 2024 + (25)SIN STMicroelectronics exhibited Secured & Connected Smartcard Solutions at SmartTech Asia TMicroelectronics, the global semiconductor leader showcased emerging and sustainable technologies and applications at SmarfTech Asia held on 13-15 September 2023 at Bengaluru. With the theme of Connected and Sustainable Security Solutions, ST showcased demos for Payment ond banking and NFC and connectivity solutions. Electronics Maker met with Deepak Agarwal, Amit Sethi and Vinay Thapliyal from ST Tech Marketing and explored the latest technological advancements, and sustainable solutions driving the smort card industry forward Product showcase Metallic card Innovative payment card with STPay solution, providing a premium experience to selected customers ond improving brond perception. Dynamic CV Innovotive battery-less dynamic CW solution developed in collaboration with Ellipse. The card automatically changes the 3-digit CW number on payment cards af each terminal transaction. electronics maker + lanvary2024 « (26) Biometric payment solution Complete biometric System-on-Card solution designed with partners, enabling secure, fast, and convenient poyments worldwide. Wearable payment Innovative payment solution with the STPay application in a small form factor (2FF). It is based on a contactless module that can be integrated in wearables such as watches, bracelets, keychains, and more. STASIM — eSIM solution for secure M2M and loT applications SIMs to GSMA-certified SIMs, the ST4SIM portfolio includes solutions based on basic configurations (ST4SIM- 100), as well as cryptographic enwelecronicsmolercom {ST4SIM-110 / ST4SIM-111), GSMA SGP02 (ST4SIM-200) and GSMA eSA (ST4SIM-201) configurations. STASIM-S for loT applications * JavaCardTM OS / GlobalPlatform® compliant * Configurable and customizable * Connectivity from trusted partners * Secure hardware ST32H480 and ST33G1M2 * Large choice of form factor (cord plug-in, DFN 4 x 4.2 mm, DFN 5x6 mm) ‘ST4SIM-M for M2M industrial applications + JovaCardTM OS / GlobalPlatform® compliant wunolectroncsmateccom * Scalable solution: basic SIM to GSMA eSiM. * Connectivity and platforms from trusted partners + Industrial grade (JEDEC JESD47} * Secure hardwore ST32F512- M and ST33G1M2M * Large choice of form factor (card plug-in, DFN 5x6 mm, WLCSP) $125 NFC/RFID Tags ST25T product family offers e PI) NFC/RFID ICs for contactless applications. They include short and long range (ISO/IEC 14443 AVB & 15693) and feature EEPROM memory, from 512-bit to 64-Kbit. Available in several user memory densities and with many key features, ST25T NFC fogs target a wide variety of applications such os loT objects and Smart home & city. This includes key markels like luxury, pharma, Healthcare & Wellness, Wine & Spirits, etc ST25TV Series * NFC Forum Type 5 * Augmented NDEF *+ Password Mechanism + Tamper detect ST25™N Series + NFC Forum Type 2 ‘* Augmented NDEF * Digital Signature * Kill Mode STM32MP13 MPU enabling strong security STM32MP13 MPU demo for advanced security and point- of-sales opplications, electronics maker + lenuory 2024+ (27)INTERVI 66 India holds the potential to become a significant player in the trillion-dollar semiconductor industry 99 Q Tell us about your RadioVerse technology. RadioVerse technology from Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI) offers a one-stop radio design environment that simplifies the radio development process across various markets and applications. Over the lost decade, ADI has consistently been at the forefront of innovation, delivering best-in- closs integrated wideband RF transceivers electronics maker + lonwory2024 + (28) ‘Mr. TS Shankar, Sales Director, at Analog Devices The RadioVerse portfolio extends beyond a mere collection of components. Itis @ comprehensive design and technology ecosystem that ‘empowers customers to overcome their most formidable radio challenges. The goal is clear: support customers in their radio design efforis by providing © spectrum of technologies, sofware, tools, evaluation and prototyping platforms, and even complete radio solutions. The commitment to customer success In interview with Electronics Maker, Mr. TS Shankar , Sales Director, at Analog Devices Inc talks about Analog Devices RadioVerse Technology, India's R&D work, product innovations, key challenges and how ADI helps in accelerating sustainability with intelligent solutions. is further amplified by o globol partnership network of ADI- opproved radio technology providers. Within this ecosystem, the RadioVerse ADRV904x-RD platform shines as @ powerful solution for open radio unit (O- RU) reference design.Covering the optical front-haul to the RF signal chain, it provides flexibility for 4G and 5G radio design engineers to customize both hardware and software for wmlecronicsmoleecom ‘macro and small cell RUs. This platform supports o wide range of sub-6 GHz bands and power variants, making it suitable for multi-band applications. One of the primory advantages of the ADRV904x- RD radio platform is its ability to address critical power consumption and design challenges associated with next- generation networks. It offers known and trusted architecture that has undergone conformance and interoperability testing in multiple O-RAN plugfests and private installations. This not only accelerates the development process but also ensures compatibility and reliability in real-world deployments. Q What are the innovations in the pipeline from your India R&D centre? Analog Devices Inc's India R&D center, headquartered in Bengaluru, stands as one of the top three global R&D centers for the company, leading the charge in innovation and technology development. We are at the forefront of innovation across various domains, making significant contributions to the company’s global product line and addressing critical challenges in healthcare, communication, industrial automation, and energy seclors.Here are some of the key innovations and initiatives from ADI India's headquarters in Bengaluru: * Diverse Product Portfolio: ADI India has ployed a pivotal role in developing wide range of wunnolectronicsmakeccom products, including digital signal processors (DSP), complex system on chip (SoC}, analog to digital (ADC) and digital to ‘analog (DAC) precision converters, video processing, ultra-low power microcontrollers, high-speed converters, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), micro-eleciro- mechanical systems (MEMS), software tools, and algorithms. * 5G Advancements: Leveraging Indian infrastructure and technologies, AD! India is ‘actively involved in advancing the company’s 5G product and solution portfolio. This contribution spans across various sectors, including coutomotive, industrial, healthcare, consumer electronics, Internet of Things (loT}, security, communications, ‘and energy markets. * Product Success Stories: ADI India's development of products like the ADSP-21584 processor, which is used in premium soundbors by 0 leading consumer audio brand, showcases its prowess in creating high-performance, power-efficient solutions that have gained recognition at prestigious events like the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). Additionally, the ADSP-21479 DSP developed by AD! India is being utilized by @ U.S.-based medical electronics company in pulse oximeters, ensuring superior performance in challenging conditions. * Innovative Technology Stack: Anolog Devices offers a comprehensive stack of innovative technology products and solutions, including 3D Time of Flight (ToF), 5G, A-B Audio Bus, Cyber Security, GaN (Gollium Nitride}, loT, LIDAR, Precision technology, Radar Systems, RadioVerse, RF solutions, Sensor interfaces, and ‘SmartMesh. These technologies spon across various industries, addressing a wide range of needs and challenges. + Healthcare Innovation: ADI India is actively contributing to the future of healthcare by developing rapid disease detection technology that con identify and prevent the spread of diseases beyond the patient zero. This innovation holds great potential for improving public health and controlling disease outbreaks. ‘* 5G Leadership: Analog Devices has been a pioneer in the field of communications, contributing to advancements in 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G. The company has played o crucial role in field testing ond technology development to make 5G a reality, demonstrating its commitment to shaping the future of communication technology. * Industrial Automation: To accelerate the development of future-proof industrial automation, ADI India offers complete system-level solutions, algorithms for data analysis, and proven reference designs for fast prototyping and customization. These initiatives simplify design processes and promote innovation in the industrial sector. + Renewable Energy and Energy electronics maker + lanuory 2024 + (29)INTERVIE Grids: ADIs battery management systems are helping bring renewable energy to areas without electricity. The mSure® technology aids electricity utilities in detecting tampering, extending meter life, reducing operating expenses, and enhancing revenue protection and customer service in the energy sector. This technology is critical for building more resilient and secure energy orids. Q According to you what are the key challenges in industry today? The semiconductor indusiry faces several challenges, but these challenges can be converted into opportunities as India aspires to establish itself as «@ prominent global player in this transformative field: 1. Supply Chain Disruptions - Opportunity for Local Manufocturing: * Challenge: Supply chain disruptions hove exposed the vulnerability of relying on external sources. * Opportunity: India can use this challenge as an opportunity to strengthen local manufacturing copobilites. Schemes like PLI and DLI provide incentives for setting up manufacturing facilities, reducing dependency on external sources. 2. Ropid Technological Advancements - Leveraging Design Excellence: * Challenge: Keeping pace with ropid technological advancements is demanding. * Opportunity: India's strength in design engineering positions it electronics maker + lonvary2024 « (30) 08 0 key player: By integrating design excellence with manufacturing aspirations, India can offer comprehensive services that combine design, engineering, and manufacturing. 3. Building on Momentum - Sustaining Growth: * Challenge: I's vital to ensure that the momentum gained is not lost. + Opportunity: India can identify the critical factors contributing to this surge and work proodively to sustain them, thereby building a robust foundation for semiconductor manufcturing. 4, Balancing Aspirations and Realities - Learning from Successful Notions: * Challenge: Striking @ balance between aspirations and practical redities is essential. * Opportunity: India can learn from successful semiconductor manufacturing nations like Taiwan, understanding their experiences and lessons. This knowledge can accelerate India's progress and prevent over- promising, 5. Nurturing Indigenous Product Companies - Reducing Dependence: * Challenge: Reducing dependence on international clientele is necessory * Opportunity: Nurturing indigenous product companies through government initiatives like PLI and DUI can create a local consumer base, reducing reliance on international markets, 6. Collaborations - Streamlining Processes: * Challenge: The semiconductor indusiry demonds precision, resources, and a skilled workforce. * Opportunity: India can streamline its regulatory processes and create a favourable business environment. Collaborations with global players can help address initial shortcomings and expedite ecosystem development. In conclusion, Indio's journey towords establishing o self-dependent semiconductor ecosystem is multi-faceted, but it holds the potential to become a significant player in the trillion dollar semiconductor industry. By integrating design excellence with manufacturing, leveraging global parinerships, and learning from successful nations, Indio can expedite its progress and overcome the challenges it faces. With determination and strotegic planning, the vision of becoming o global leader in semiconductor design and manufacturing is within reach. Q What is ADI's contribution towards sustainability and improving ‘the quality of lite with technology? ‘Analog Devices (ADI) is committed to making significant contributions to sustainability and improving the quality of life through its ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) initiatives. Here are some key updates and progress made in line with these commitments on «@ global level: '* Innovative Solutions for Society and the Planet: ADI collaborates with its customers to seewelecronicemolercom develop innovative solutions that address critical challenges in various industries, including industrial, automotive, communications, digital healthcare, and consumer sectors. In fiscal year 2022, approximately 30% of ADI's total revenue came from green sources, reflecting a substantial 34% increase from the previous yeor. Approximately 30% of ADIs research and development (R&D) efforis were focused on green initiatives, aligning with the previous fiscal year '* Water Conservation Goals: ADI has set a target to achieve a 50% reduction in total woter withdrawal normalized to fab production output by 2027. This goal complements the company’s ongoing efforts to atioin « 25% water recycling rate in ils manufacturing facilities. *+ Climate Responsibility: ADI has successfully reduced ils absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 7.2% since 2019, along with a remarkable 37% decrease in GHG emissions intensity by revenue during the some period. Notably, the company hos disclosed full Scope 3 emissions for the first time, a crucial siep in achieving its goal of Net Zero emissions across the value chain by 2050 or earlier. *+ Renewable Energy Adoption: In 2022, 54% of the electricity used in ADI's manufacturing facilities came from renewable sources, putting the company on track to meet its target of 100% renewable electricity by 2025. + Waste Management Progress: ADI has made substantial strides towards its objective of diverting 100% of waste at its manufacturing facilities. In nnncelectronicsmatercom 2022, the company achieved an impressive 90% diversion rate. * Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I):ADI is actively promoting diversity ond inclusion within the company. In 2022, 25% of global managers at ADI were female, aligning with the company's goal fo increase the global female manager population to 29% by 2026.The company is also on track fo enhance the representation of Black, Hispanic, and Latinx employees in the United States from 7% in 2022 to 9% by 2026. Q What makes you ahead in the competition and your vision towards industry? Our success lies in its obilty to adapt to evolving technology landscapes, commitment to self-reliance, and comprehensive approach to product development. These factors, combined with a brood cond diversified technology focus, contribute to our competitive ‘advantage and align with the center's vision for the industry. * Broad and Diversified Technology Expertise: ADI India's journey in India began with digital technology and has evolved to encompass mixed- signal processors, process technologies for converter products, and now RF (radio frequency) technologies for wireless applications. This diversified technology focus cllows the center fo stay at the forefront of innovation and address 0 wide range of technological challenges. * Expansion Beyond Verticals: The spirit of innovation at AD! Indio extends beyond these specific technology verticals. The IN center continuously explores new dimensions and emerging fechnologies, broadening its scope to meet the evolving needs of the industry, This odaptobiliy iso key driver of our compelitive edge. * Design in India Initiative: ADI India is aligning its efforts with the vision of "Aimanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant Indio) by recalibrating its synergies towards ‘Design in India.’ This ‘opproach not only strengthens the center's contribution to the Indian industry but also aligns with the Indian government's vision for self-sufficiency in technology and innovation * Global Development Center: ADI India has established itself 08 a global development center for Analog Devices Inc, engaging in collaboraiive efforts ‘across all ADI businesses. tis involvement spans all stages of product development, from the initial concept to silicon design, production, and application support. This comprehensive ‘opproach positions ADI India as «© crucial contributor to ADIs worldwide operations. *+ Diverse Product Portfolio: ADI India's product portfolio is extensive, covering digital signal processors (DSP), complex system on chip (SoC), analog to digital (ADC) ond digital to conalog (DAC) precision converters, video processing, ulira-low power microcontrollers, high-speed converters, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS}, micro-electro- mechanical systems (MEMS), software tools, and algorithms. This diverse range of offerings reflects the centers commitment {0 providing solutions across a wide spectrum of applications cond industries. 7 electronics maker + lanwory 2024+ (31)Ss. TORAGE TECHNOLOGY 2024 Predictions in storage, technology, and the world, part 1 The Al hype is real! Jeremy Werner, Micron Technology, Ine The end of the calendar year and the holiday seasons in many cultures and countries around the world are a time to reflect on the past and an opportunity to think deeply about what the upcoming year and the future in general will bring. Over the past 100 years, driven by the introduction of increasingly connecting technologies enabling richer communications and lower-latency information transfer, the world has gotten closer than ever. \STORAGE TECHNOLOGY Hype Cycle for Artificial Intelligence, 2023 ‘gartner.com Gartner. his increased connectivity has led to fantastic benefits for many people around the world, liffing people out of poverty, increasing information availabilty, revolutionizing business and education, connecting people with like- minded citizens of Earth no matter where they may be, and shining spotlights on injustices around the world that we can tackle os « human species, ‘among myriad other benefits But there have been downsides that are often lamented as we age ond look back fondly on less connected fimes. (Our privacy hos eroded as we are now traceable and trackable from our phone locations to our online search history. Our electronics maker + lonvary2024 « (32) bility o sustain concentration for tasks that require significant time and effort has diminished due to the nature of our always ‘on and always reachable connectivity. Also, some of the worst human traits are brought forth through the power of social media and offen misleading information thet is difficult or impossible to discern as fact or ficlion, offen leading to hate, jealousy, greed, gluttony and self-loathing, These technologies have remade the world and the world’s ‘economy through the introduction of new copabiliies including mass production in a global interconnected supply chain, which is driving productivity gains. Now that the information revolution has transformed the world, we sit on the cusp of another great revolution as we enter the Age of Intelligencel, undoubtedly greater than any we've seen in the history of humankind - built ‘on the shoulders of the giant leaps that humans, as the worlds ulfimate social and ingenious beings, have taken in the post. Now, on to my first prediction. Prediction 1: The Al hype is REAL and will change the world forever Like all technologies as they first take off, questions abound about whether they are real or hype. Many technologies are ewelecronicemolercom Image Source: Garter Press Release, Whats New in Atal Inteligence trom the 2028 Gartner Hype ‘Cycle, August 17, 2023, hips www. garnecom en/ricles/wha-s-new-in-riiia-neligence-om- the-2023-garier pe tales inthe US. a hyped, only to flounder for years before becoming mainstream; others catch the momentum and take off, never looking in the rearview mirror; and some fade into the annals of history, a distont memory in nostalgia, the ever-common one-hit wonder. Gartner writes about this in its famous Hype Cycle - and | think it's a good woy to look at where new technologies stand, One of the most common questions | get is, "ls the Al boom hype?" ond my answer is, "Unequivocally not hype!" Now, it's possible that the fine people (or algorithmic trading supercomputers these days) on Wall Street will fade the trade of Al companies as growth inevitably tames. But the impact that Al will have on our lives, on the future of the data center and personal devices, on the future of memory and storage technology, and on the growth wnolectronicsmakeccom le arinet and Hype Gel internationally and are used herein wih permission. Al sight registered trademarks of Garine, ne. andor served rate of IT spending will be tremendous - and we are just al the very beginning of what is possible! The introduction of ChaiGPT and the other more than 100-billion-parameter large language models (LLMs) kicked off the generative Al revolution, although neural networks, deep learning and ortfical intelligence (Al) have been in use for decades in fields such as image recognition and odveriising recommendation engines. But something obout the latest LLM Al copabiliies makes them seem different than what came before - more capable, more intelligent, more thoughtful, more human? And these capabilities are advancing ‘ot an accelerating pace - especially as all the worlds largest companies race to monetize and produciize the LLM-based applications that will change the world forever. Let me provide a few examples of new near-term, medium-term, and long-term capabilities and applications that will reshape the world as we know it. In the process, they will reshape the need for faster, larger, more secure, and more capable memory, storage, networking, and compute devices, with a special focus on data creation, storage, ond analytics from these new opplications. Whether these technologies go mainstream today, tomorrow or in 20 years, the race to deploy them staris NOW and Micron is at the heart of all the innovation and ramping capobiliies. The basics: near-term capabilities guaranteed to explode in the next two to three years Most of these technologies are applications that will be run in the data center ond accessed remotely through o phone or PC by the consumer, or run in the backbone of business applications to speed time to market for new product development, gain insights on how companies are performing to drive improvements, uncover creas of saving and productivity gain, and bring these companies Closer fo their customers by enhancing their understanding of their customers desires and connecting them with the products that will interest them. + General generative Al - Wont to create @ new logo for your company, draw a funny picture for a friend, or express your ideas in orf? Maybe write a blog or piece of marketing collateral, find or create a legal agreement template, brainstorm ideas for team building events, review the flow of your presentation and make suggestions to wow the electronics maker + lenwary 2024 + (33)\STORAGE TECHNOLOGY audience - or even touch up your slides and presentation for you? Ws all possible and it's real, here cand now, and the rollout into Office365 and Google Docs is happening, gated primarily by integrating these copabiliies into applications, users learning how to use the new capabilities (that is, adoption), and the compute power on the backend supporiing these new copabilies. (Note that rolling out that compute power will benefit memory and storage demand.) * Video chat monitoring - Need realetime language translation for cross-border meetings with team members fluent in different languages? Tired of taking meeting minutes and want an auiomated summary - including key points, atlendees, and action items - to be saved to the location of your choice and sent out after your meeting? These are just o couple examples of the capabilities in trial or being developed already. *+ Code generation - The average compensation of a software engineer in the U.S. is about $155,0002. Code generation empowers entrepreneurs and creators by giving them the obility to program without needing to know how to code. It can also transform an experienced coder or software engineer into o super engineer, enhancing their productivity by an average of 55%, according to one study.3 ‘At Micron welve been deploying early prototypes of Al coding tools for our software engineers from IT and product development to test and validation. And even early tools - not bespoke trained tools on our dota specifically - are showing huge promise to drive software electronics maker + lanvory2024 + (34) developer productivity. One simple example that most software programmers will ‘oppreciate was that the Al software automatically generated and inserted comments for the code we were writing that was highly accurate This simple task saved our engineers up to 20% of their time while enhancing the consistency, quality, and readability of our code for others ‘assigned to or joining projects. * Entrepreneurship ond business pariners - Have a new idea but dont know where to get started? Your fevorite generative Al ossistant has your back. Tell ChatGPT or other generative Al tools you want fo start a business together ond ifs your new business pariner! Explain your idea and ask for a business plan, a roadmap and a step-by- step guide on how to realize your dream. You'll be omazed at what on enthusiastic and capable business poriner you've found. I's not perfect but is ony co-worker? Medium-term technologies that will disrupt trllion-dollar industries in the next three to seven yeors Most of these technologies require some complex problems to be solved, including government regulations for safety reasons or new physical capabilities to be developed. These dependencies will inevitably delay the introduction cf what is possible as they ore ‘added into the existing physical world built for humans and their imperfections. * Autonomous driving - Remember the hype this new technology go! around 20212 Uber ond Lyft stock soared on the belief that their platforms would provide the robo-toxi fleet for the rapid transition into ‘autonomous vehicles. But indeed Level 5 (fully ‘evtonomous) cars have fallen somewhat into the trough of disillusionment. The reasons for the delay are many - underestimation of the complexity and computing power required fo make split second decisions, the variance of the driving, road and weather conditions, the complexity of the moral and ethical decision- moking, and societal and regulatory questions such as who is iable in the event of an accident or how you prioritize soving the lives of passengers or pedestrians when no perfect decision exists. Accidents happen, right? But we will figure these issues out, and eventually most vehicles on the road will be capable of full autonomy. And this will have an enormous impact on the amount of memory and storage in a car as the average L5 vehicle in 2030 will use approximately 200 times the amount of NAND used by 0 typical L2+/13 vehicle today. Multiply that by approximately 122 million vehicles in 2030 ‘ond you see on increase in demand for NAND in ‘automotive applications reliant on Al of a whopping 500 ‘exobyies! Thats over holt the ‘amount of NAND expected fo be produced in 2024 * Healthcare - Artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare in many ways, including radiology scans and cancer detection. Al algorithms can analyze images from MRI scans fo predict the presence of ‘an IDH1 gene mutation in brain tumors or find prostate cancer when is present and dismiss onything that may be mistaken wmlecronicsmolercom for cancerd. Researchers are using machine learning to build tools in the realm of cancer detection and diagnosing, potentially catching tumors or lesions that doctors could miss5 Als also being used to help detect lung cancer tumors in computed tomography scans, with the Al deep learning tool outperforming radiologists in detecting lung cancer6. And Al will bring the best practices and procedures to patients around the world, especially in locations lacking the quantity and quality of top doctors, which is likely to massively improve outcomes. * Personal Al assistant - Movies and books have been written - from Awaken Online7 to Her8 - romonticizing the idea of a personal Al assistant always with you, capable of truly understanding your desires, preferences, and needs. Imagine being able fo give vague instructions like find me something to eat, plan my vacation for me, create my to-do list, or help me choose an outfit today. These are all within the realm of possibility but require privacy and performance that is likely best delivered locally instead of from the cloud. The training and retraining of these models may happen on more powerful servers, but the inferencing/running of the model cand your private data is likely 10 be resident on your phone or PC of the future. This means ‘massive increases in local storage (NAND/SSD) and memory (DRAM) in future personal devices. * Video training - How about a virlual ovator of your boss, trained on their capabilities and thought processes, to review your work and provide feedback, or give advice that is close to wunolectronicsmakeccom \STLORAGE TECHNOLOGY what they would actually deliver, or a video of your favorite leader ‘or scientist or celebrity who could come to a school and interact with the students in an ‘outhentic and thoughtful manner? Training on video and the compute power necessary 10 scole hyperrealistic advanced digital Al avatars are costly endeavors compared to sill image or text generation, but theyre technologically viable ‘once cosis come down and investment scales into the next wave of generative models. * Policing and law enforcement - Asifical intelligence has the potential to transform the field of policing and law enforcement, especially in video suneillance. Alcan help detect and prevent crimes, identify and track suspecis, and provide evidence ‘and insights for investigations. However, the use of Al also raises ethical and social issues, such as the balance between ‘government monitoring and individual privacy rights, the risk ‘of government tyranny and cobuse of power, and the impact of Al on human dignity and civil liberties. Different countries have different approaches ond regulations on how to use Al for video surveillance, reflecting their cultural and political values. For exomple, the US. prioritizes individual privacy and limits the use of facial recognition and other biometric fechnologies by law enforcement ‘agencies. On the other hand, Britain and Chine allow more state surveillance and use Al fo monitor public spaces, traffic, ‘ond social media for crime prevention and social control. These controsting examples show that society must weigh the benefils and risks of Al in video suneeillance and decide how to regulate and oversee its use in a democratic and transparent manner. So, while the technology exists for much of this use today, the sticky ethical questions and subsequent regulations are likely to take longer before they fully disrupt this industry. Longer-term technologies that will create mulitrillion-dollor industries in the next 10-plus years * Home-ossistant robotics - The aging population in the United Stotes is facing a number of challenges when it comes to eldercare. The need for caregivers will increase significantly as the population ages. However, the supply of eldercare is not keeping up with the demand. The shortage of workers in the eldercare industry is a nationwide dilemma, with millions of older adults unable to access the affordable care and services that they so desperately need. According to the Bureau of Lobor Statistics, the employment of home health and personal care aides is projected fo grow 22% from 2022 to 2032, much foster than the average for all occupations. About 684,600 openings for home health and personal care aides are projected each year, ‘on average, over the decade9. Meanwhile, according to the CDC, 66% of U.S. households (86.9 million homes} own a pet, with dogs being the most popular pet in the U.S. (65.1 million U.S. households own a dog), followed by cats (46.5 million households) 10. In 2022, Americans spent $5.8 billion on pet care services, including pet sitting, dog walking, grooming, and boarding.11 + And over one million home burglaries occur annually in the U.S,; that's one every 25.7 seconds!12 Home-ossistant electronics maker + lenuory 2024+ (35)\STORAGE TECHNOLOGY robots with Al embedded into ‘heir capabilities could help seniors or disabled people maintain their independence, protect our homes when we ore out, or take care of our peis when we travel, as well as assisting in myriad other helpful ways such as cooking or cleaning. Eventually Isoac Asimov vision of intelligent and helpful robots is likely to become: @ reality * Battle bots and revolutionized warfare - Artificial intelligence is likely to transform modern warfare in unprecedented ways, creating new opportunities and challenges for humanity. Al could be a means to peace, discouraging warfare by enhancing deterrence, reducing casualties, and enabling humanitarian interventions. However, Al could also be o dangerous tool in the hands of an evil dictator, increasing the scale, speed, ond unpredictability of violence, lowering the threshold for conflict, and undermining human rights and accountability. Al could enable the development and deployment of new weapons and systems - such as drones, microscopic hordes, and robots that could autonomously operate on the battlefield, with or without human supervision. These technologies could have significant implications for the ethics and laws of war, as well as the security and stability of the world order. Therefore, it is imperative that governments around the world navigate the ethical implications of Al in warfare, cooperate to establish norms and regulations that ensure the responsible and peaceful use of Al, and (hopefully) drive our planet to peace and shared prosperity * The new hire - Why work when you could get your Al robot to go to work for you? At electronics maker + lonvary2024 + (36) some point in the future, we have the opportunity for more leisure time and socialization as the mundane tasks in life can be managed by superintelligent robots - as individuals or hive beings. How will society choose to share this wealth among its citizens? Will we allow only a few who invent the technology to benefit or will all humankind have their quality of life lifted? What will we do with all the time we find on our hands, and what does it mean for the values that many of us hold in high esteem like working hard ond learning ‘bout new things if we won't have as broad an opportunity to copply them? Lots of questions with many ethical and societal challenges that must be worked ‘out and reimagined from how the world operates today. We may be worried about Al taking ‘our jobs, but maybe we can move to 0 three- or four-doy workweek and spend more time enjoying the fruits of our labor through the help of our trusty Al ossistonts! In my next blog, we'll transition from Al - which is at the start of a meteoric rise - to a technology that is obout to change direction (NAND) and ‘another that is headed into the sunset. References: 1, Satya Nadella, Hit Refresh 2. 2023 software engineer salary in U.S. | Built In 3. Research: quantifying GitHub Copilots impact on developer productivity and happiness - The GitHub Blog 4. hitps://ww.cancer.gow/news- events/cancer-currents-blog/ 2022/ariiicial-intelligence cancer-imaging 5. hiips://obenews.go.com/Heath/ «i- detect-treat-cancer-potential- risks-patiens/story2id=101 431628 6. hitps://wow.ajme.com/view/ai- beats-radiologisis-in-detecting lung-cancer-study-finds 7. Catharsis (Awaken Online #1) by Travis Bagwell | Goodreads 8. Her (film) - Wikipedia 9. Home Health and Personal Care Aides : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics (bls.gov) 10. htps:/Awclorbes.com/adhisor/ pet-insurance/pet-ownership- statistics/ 11. htips://wecensus.gow/library/ stories/2020/02/spending-on- pet-care-services-doubled-in- lost-decade. him! 12. hiips://www.orbes.com/ home-improvement/home- security/home-invasion-statistics/ Author Jeremy Werner, Corporate Vice President & General Manager, Storage Business Uni, Micron Technology Ine. Jeremy is an occomplished storage technology leader with over 20, years of experience. Ai Micron he has @ wide ronge of esponsibilies, including product planning, marketing and customer support for Server, Storage, Hyperscale, end Cliont markets globolly. Previously he wos GM of the SSD business ot KIOXIA America and spent @ decade in sales ond marketing roles at slortup companies MetaRAM, Tidal Systems, and SandForee. Jeremy eorned 0 BS.EE. from Cornell University ond holds over 25 potents or patents pending swmlecronicsmoliercom to 100 watts Minimal P Barley Li, Digik ‘o overcome this limitation, designers con add USB Power Delivery (PD) and create a Type-C PD device that can deliver up to 100 watts (20 volts, 5 A) in the Standard Power Range (SPR). Now, instead of painstakingly programming the comprehensive USB PD protocol, developers can easily configure an off-the-shelf PD controller and add custom and optimized PD functionality to AC-DC chargers and current- controlled USB pors. This orficle provides an overview of the core requirements for PD systems. It then introduces the FUSBI5101MNTWG PD controller from onsemi, ond shows how to quickly begin configuring the pre-programmed controllers firmware using As Universal Serial Bus Type-C (USB-C) ports become more common, many users are relying on them to deliver ever higher levels of electrical power to a wide variety of connected devices. However, the USB-C specification limits the base power supply of a "Type-C only" device to a maximum of 15 watts (5 volts, 3 amperes (A)). evaluation boards, development software, programming/debug adapters, and a PD protocol onalyzer. Switching converter with protocol-controlled power regulation There was a time when ‘analog wall chargers for battery powered devices consisted of just two components: 0 transformer and a rectifier: Now, the need for higher efficiency, greater flexibility, ond ongoing miniaturization have combined to moke powering even simple electronic devices a complex endeavor. Today's microcontroller based switching converters must now dynamically negotiate their output power with connected smatt loads via a complex protocol. electronics maker + lenuory 2= sor Fa SOF Ores ‘#Doia Message | Spee Adres = SOP: Pont Power Role ithdsees = S0P/ SOP" Cade Play Preanble _Adess Hear Data Obets cee EOP 6 eee 2 2 4 Cconean Rev Cole ltAddoss = SOP. Pot Data Re radios» S0P1 SOP" Resoved Figure 1: The PD message structure can dynamically go upto 356 bits in length. (Image source: Cypre USB PD is one such protocol. In version 3.1, it coordinates up to 240 watts of electrical line power via on intelligent USB Type-C Electronically Marked Cable ‘Assembly (EMCA) connection cable, while at the same time maintaining backward compatibility with older USB standards. However, the control ‘of dynamic PD power transmission via the 24-pin USB- CC connector goes far beyond the sfatic control voliages on the dota lines of the classic four-wire USB interface. A USBPD device can operate as a downstream facing port (DFP) power source, as an upstream facing port (UFP) power consumer (or sink’), or in a dual role port (DRP) mode. A PD source device internally switches pull-up resistors to two control lines (CC1 ond CC2); a PD sink device identifies itself via internal pull-down resistors. The two CC lines ore simultaneously used to transmit PD messages of up to 356 bits in length at a clock rate of 300 kilohertz (kHz) (Figure 1). Short control messages coordinate the message flow between two port partners, while longer data messages are used to negotiate the power and control the buill- in self-test (BIST) or transmit OEM-specific content. electronics maker + lonvary2024 + (38) jemiconducto, via em fet.com) Power negotiation between PD devices The USB PD 3.0 SPR defines several fixed voltage levels between 5 and 20 volts, ‘ond only supports static power profiles up to 100 watts. Using the Programmable Power Supply (PPS) extension, o USB sink device can request in real-time,a voltage from the USB power source between 3 and 21 volts in increments of 20 millivolts (mV), according to its needs. The PPS thereby simplifies the switching converter electronics in the mobile device, reduces heat dissipation, and occelerates charging by ‘optimizing power matching. USB PD 3.1 defines an extended power range (EPR) up to a maximum of 240 watts, and uses an adjustable voltage supply (AVS) to regulate the bus voltage in a higher range between 15 and 48 volts. Since 3 A already exceeds the current-carrying capacity of ordinary USB cables, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) stipulates that special EMCA cables be used. These feature thicker wire cross-sections and cable insulation. The E-Marker chips in the cable plugs confirm these reinforced cable features using the PD protocol. In doing 0, they influence the power negotiation between the source and sink device. PD communication uses special K-codes to delineate messages. The special K-code sequence that indicates the stort ‘of a sequence is called the Start Of Packet (SOP). Three sequences are defined: SOP SOP’, and SOP", so that o DFP (a power source such as a PD. nnelwork chorging adapter) can communicate os an initiator with either of the two E-Marker chips in the EMCA cable connectors, ‘as well as with the UFP (USB power sink). The flowchart in Figure 2 shows the message exchange Figure 2: Shown is the successful power negotiation between two USB PD devices over ‘and EMCA cable. Not Request; Ack = Acknowledge. (mage source: Cypress Semiconductor, via embedded.com) swmlecronicsmolercom Figur ‘ofthe AC-OC switching power supply via an optocoupler. (Image source: onsemi) during « successful power negotiation between two PD devices connected via an EMCA cable. Configure instead of program The complexity of the PD protocol translates to a poinstaking programming exercise for the developer. A faster approach is to instead configure a pre-programmed USB PD coniroller with custom features. An example controller is onsemis FUSB15101 MNTWG. This is « highly integrated USB PD 3.1 controller that can control the primary-side switching regulator of on AC-DC adapter via on optocoupler, or directly control @ DC-DC port current regulator. This all-in-one solution minimizes circuit complexity through optimized hardware peripherals, including digital-to- analog and analog-to-digital converters, NTC temperature sensing, and NMOS gate drivers. Open-source fiemware with an application programming interface (API) ond the Eclipse-based integrated development environment (IDE) facilitate programming, ‘The FUSB15101 integrates nnncolectronicsmatarcom «o high-efficiency Arm Cortex MO+ processor with a UART interface and supporis the PPS specification, regulating the output voliage from 3.3 to 21 volts. t offers programmable constant voltage (CV) and constant current (CC) regulation ‘and compensates for cable losses. Also avoilable are overvoltage, undervoltage, overcurrent, and over- temperature protection functions, os well as overvoltage protection diodes on the USB-C connector pins. The PD. controller supports VCONN power for the E-Marker chips in EMCA cables, while its idle and sleep modes meet Cerificate of Conformity (CoC) and Design of Experiments (DOE) requirements. Typical applications include: * USBPD compliant AC-DC adopter (see Application 1) * USBPD compliant DC-DC ports (see Applic Application ‘switching power supply featuring USBPD output In this application, the FUSB15101 USB PD controller controls the NCP1345Q02D 1R2G quosi- in this solution for USB PD wall chargers, the FUSB15101 controls the NCP1345QR flyback switching regulator on the primary side resonant (QR) fiyback switching regulator on the primary side of ‘on AC-DC switching power supply via an optocoupler. The NCP1345 operates off of 9 to 38 volts from on auxiliary 1g of the transformer, and uses a second auxiliary winding to generate a voltage that is four times higher fo provide enough switching voltage for 0 MOSFET ot low USB output voltages of 3.3 volis. On the secondary side, the NCP4307AASNTIG controller controls the synchronous rectification. Combining the three ICs results in a gear-shifing power supply that consistently achieves around 90% elficiency across the different PD power profiles. Figure 3 shows the main ircuit diagram of a USB-C PD 3.0 PPS mains charger based on the three ICs that delivers 65 watts (20 volts/3.25A) Programmers can get started on their own USB PD power supply application by using onsemi's NCP1342PD65WGEVB evaluation boord, shown in Figure 4. The storage choke of this board, in the form of a compact RMB iransformer, provides 60 electronics maker + lanuery 2024+ (39)Figure 4: Using the NCP1342POBSWGEVBUSB-C PD 3.0 wall charger evaluation board, programmers can get started right away. (Image source: onsem) watts (20 volts/3A) of output power. The NCP1342BMDCDD1R2G quasi-resonant flyback switching regulator operates offof 9 10 28 volts from only one ouxiliary winding. Suitable for developing high-performance offline power converters and USBPD adapters, it features rapid frequency foldback (RFF) for improved efficiency across the load range. An integrated active X2 discharge capacitor eliminates the need for discharge resistors, FUSB15101 USB PD controller drives the NCV81599MWTXG four-stage buck/boost, step- up/down DC-DC converter controller. This allows a USB-C port that is otherwise limited to 15 watts to be expanded to a PD power source that provides more than 60 wats and is supplied by the device's internal DC power supply or a battery (Figure 5). Developers can save time cond start testing and programming immediately with the NCV81599 by using the FUSB3307MPX-PPS-GEVB evaluation board. This DC-DC current regulator circuit converts 2 USB port into a PD 3.0 PPS current source, which delivers up to 5 Aat bus voltages from 3.3 to 21 volts (Figure 6). The circuit is capable of detecting E-Marker cables and can be operated standalone or connected to test equipment, ADC power supply or a battery supplies the VBAT input of the FUSB3307 board with 4.5 Figure inthis DC-DC port current controller application, FUSB15101 controls the ‘our-stage DC-DC converter controller NCV81599 directly. (Image source: onsemi) and enables power consumption below 40 milliwatts (mW) at no lood. Application 2: DC-DC current controller for a USB PD port In this application, the electronics maker + lonvary2024 + (40) to 32 volts, The circuit handles constant voltage (CV) or constant current (CC) regulation, ‘and hos protection agoinst overvoltage, undervoltage, shor-crcuit, over-lemperature, cond cable-fault conditions. Figure 6: The FUSBS07MPX-PPS-GEVB is an evaluation board forthe NCVB1599. ‘thal turns USB ports ino a PD 3.0 PPS power source. (Image source: onsemi) Programming the FUSB15101 The FUSB15010 firmware is a highly optimized Type-CPD controller driver that supports the integrated ArmCortex MO-+ processor. The firmware has the flexibility to handle new PD messages os well as additional Type-C status flows. The code is organized in a modular fashion, separating the application source code, hardware abstraction layer, platform- dependent code, and USB Type- CPD core functions. The PD core functions are configurable vio project build options or by modifying the vendor info file "vif info.h'. The code base includes an Eclipse somple project that can be compiled using the IDE, enabling faster startup for evaluating the Type-CPD standalone controller Toble summarizes the PD profiles supported by the FUSB15101; PDO is the power delivery object. As mentioned, the parameters of a charging profile can be modified very easily in the file 'Vif_info.h'. The following code shows how to change the maximum current in PDO 4 from 20 volts/3 A to 20 volts/3.25 A: vwelecronicemoletcom = ‘Siar om ayeiayala) fale i NOTE _POSrararn pow ‘able 1: Shown are the PD profiles supported by the FUSB15101. (Table source: onsemi) Current PDO values: +#define PORT_A_SRC_POO_VOLTAGE_4 +#define PORT_A_SRC_PDO_MAX_CURRENT_4 New PDO values: +#define PORT_A_SRC_POO_VOLTAGE 4 +#define PORT_A_SRC_PDO_MAX_CURRENT_4 Further details and instructions for installing the IDE, 2s well as firmware import and compiling the binary file, can be found in the FUSB15101EVBSPG guide. The installation of the programming tools and the procedure of the one-time flash are described in the UM70086- D user's manual. A suitable Arm Cortex-M programming and debug adapler to facilitole development is the 8.08.91 J- LINK EDU MINI from Seager Microcontroller Systems. 400 j/ 20000 mv 300 // 3.00 A 400 // 20000 mv 925 //3.25 A Checking the PD communication To verify communication between two USB PD devices, developers can use Infineon Technologies’ CY4500protocol ‘onalyzer, which supports USBPD3.0 and USB-C specifications. It performs non- intrusive testing and captures ‘accurate protocol messages on the CC lines. The associated EZ- PD analysis software lists all the messages of a dialog between two USB PD devices and an EMCA cable in detail (Figure 7) Figure 7: The EZ-PO analysis software tracks the dialog between two USB PD devices over ‘the CC lines. (Image source: Infineon Technologies) wunnolectronicsmateccom USB-C Conclusion While its important to understand the basics of the USB PD protocol in order to adapt designs to meet the rising power needs of end-user devices, it is 0 complex protocol that can require extensive programming To save time, developers can use pre-programmed, highly integrated USB PD controllers to boost 15 watt USB-C power fo over 100 watts. AC-DC USB chargers, os well as DC-DC USB ports, can be enhanced with custom PD functionality by simply configuring the PD controller. Urilizing evaluation boards and a PD protocol analyzer facilitate the development process. Application Notes 1: EVBUM2819/D user manual for the 65 watt TYPE-C PD 3.0/PPS charger htips://www.onsemi.com/downlo ad/eval-board- manual/pdf/evbum2819-d.pdf 2: EVBUM2818/D user manual for the 100 watt TYPE-C PD 3.0/PPS charger https://www.onsemi.com/downlo od/eval-board- manual/pdf/evbum2818-d.pdf 3: FUSB15101EVBSPG user manual for programming theFUSB15101 https://www.onsemi.com/pub/co lloteral/um70088-d.pdf 4: EVBUM2710/D user manual for the FUSB3307 EVB: USB-C PD 3.0/PPS source controller hitps://www.onsemi.com/pub/co llateral/evbum2710-d.pdh 5: UM70086-D FUSB15101 programming guide htips://www.onsemi.com/pub/co llateral/um70086-d.pdt electronics maker + lenuery 2024+ (41)WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY -Fi7- More Than Just Extremely High Throughput Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) 320 MHz Channel Bandwidth ot on the heels of Wi-Fi 6E, the 7th generation Wi-Fi® technology, also referred to as IEEE 802.1 lbe or WiFi 7, is just around the comer! It will be the fastest Wi-Fi technology ever and a game changer, providing a much better user experience for nelworking and online activities electronics maker + lonwary2024 + (42) in our everyday life. It will enable ‘ond accelerate many demanding copplications such as BK video streaming, full immersion AR/VR, gaming, and cloud computing, This article will review the key features supported in 802.1 1be Release 1 and understand the benefits of Wi-Fi 7 and how it can enoble future connectivity Wi-Fi 7 Key Features 320 MHz Channel Bandwidth With the 6 GHz band ‘opened to Wi-Fi applications, Wi-Fi 7 supports a maximum 320 MHz chonnel bandwidth on the 6 GHz band while supporting 20/40/80/160 MHz channel bandwidth on both 5 swmolecronicsmoleecom Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) 40 MHz Channel Bandwidth WrFi 5/6(6E) (802.1 1ac/ax) 160 MHz Channel Bandwidth Wi-Fi 7 (802.1 tbe) 320 MHz Channet Bandwidth Figure 1.320 Miz Channel Bandwidth GHz and 6 GHz bands and 20/40 MHz on the 2.4 GHz band. 320 MHz channels bandwidth alone doubles the maximum speeds for Wi-Fi 7 compared to existing Wi-Fi 6/6E. 4096 (4K) QAM Quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) is used extensively as a Wi-Fi modulation scheme that simultaneously mixes both amplitude and phase variations in a carrier. Wi-Fi 6 supports up to 1024 QAM- each constellation point on the left Q 1024 GAM snnncolectronicsmatarcom \ WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY represents 10-bit data (symbol) in Figure 2. Wi-Fi 7 supports 4096 QAM- each constellation point on the right represents 12- bit data (symbol). In other words, each point modulated with QAM in WiFi 7 can carry 2 more bits ‘of information than Wi-Fi 6. That is a 20% increase in speed. ‘Multi-Link Operation (MLO) Mult-link Operation (MLO) is a vital and helpful feature in ‘Wi-Fi 7. It enables devices to transmit and receive across multiple bands and channels simultaneously. Its similar to but more sophisticated and flexible than the link aggregation or trunking features of wired (i.e., Ethernet) networking. It creates a bundling or bonding of multiple links (radios) in different bands cond channels to work as one virual link between the connected peers. Each link (codio) can work independently ‘and simultaneously with other links or coordinate for optimal ‘aggregate speeds, latency, range (coverage), or power saving. Wi-Fi 7 MLO is a MAC- layer solution for concurrently using multiple links and is transparent to the higher-layer protocols ond services. MLO can improve throughput, link robustness, roaming, interference mitigation, and reduce latency. For example, in a home mesh network formed with triband (6 GHz, 5 GHz, 2.4 GHz) mesh nodes or access points (APs), MLO can form a high-speed, low-latency wireless backbone for the home network ‘ond provide backhaul for the devices connected fo the mesh nodes/APs. If each mesh node supports 4x4 triband concurrent configuration, the aggregate backhaul (backbone) supports speeds up to 21.6 Gbps. With MLO, the backhau| (backbone) is also more robust and reliable. Ifthe 5 GHz link is interrupted by radar (DFS), the traffic can be ‘automatically switched to the 6 GHz and 2.4 GHe links without service interruption or quality of service (QoS) degradation. Compared to Wi-Fi 7 MLO- based backhaul, fodoys Wi-Fi 6 ‘ond 6E mesh solutions use one cof the 4x4 radios to form the wireless backhaul, which only provides 4.8 Gbps speeds. If there is interference or interruption to that link, the electronics maker + lanuory 2024 + (43)\ WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY Figure 3, Mult-Link Operations whole backhaul (backbone) is impacted or broken, thus causing QoS degradation or interruption When the client devices, such as smariphones, laptops, etc., support multiple radios, MLO creates a larger pipe between the devices and AP for higher speeds, lower latency, and higher reliability ond improves the user experience for seamless roaming, Mult-Resource Units (MRU) Wi-Fi 7 adds new resource unit (RU) allocation mechanisms. Compared to WiFi 6, in which AP assigns only a single RU to each STA (non-AP STA), Wi-Fi 7 allows multiple resource units (MRU) to be set to one non-AP ‘STA. MRUs further improve spectrum ulilization efficiency, provide more flexibility for bandwidth (QoS) control per STA based on needs, and enhance interference mitigation and coexistence with incumbent equipment operating on the same band or channel. ‘Such MRU mechanisms suppor! both orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) and non- OFDMA (i.e., MU- MIMO) modes. OFDMA mode supports small MRUs and larger MRUs to allow more flexibility to allocate the RU/MRUs without complicating the MAC ‘ond scheduler designs. The non- OFDMA mode provides the most flexibility in the preamble puncturing of subchannels. For example, any 20 MHz subchannels except for the primary one or 40/80 MHz channels con be punctured in 320 MHz bandwidth. This allows the transmission to maximize the uilization of the spectrum of the channel when there is interference and provides the best coexistence if there is an incumbent device operating on a specific spectrum section of the channel. There are many new features and improvements in Wi-Fi 7. Such features include preamble puncturing, target ‘wake time (TWT) and restricted TWT (rTWT), extended-range (MCS 14 and MCS 15), et. Other features such os multi-AP coordination (coordinated beamforming, coordinated OFDMA, coordinated spatial reuse, joint transmission), 16 spatial streams, and HARQ, etc., may be supported in Release 2 ‘nd are not covered in this article. electronics maker + Jonvar 2024 « (44) Figure 4. RU & MRU of 320 MHz OFOMA PPOU How Will Wi-Fi 7 Benefit End Users? Extremely High Throughput Wi-Fi 7 supports lightning- fast speeds. Built on its predecessor, Wi-Fi 6 (a.k.a 802.1103), Wi-Fi 7 supports extremely high throughput (EHT) with a raw data rate of up to 46 Gbps with 16 spatial streams defined in the standard specs. This is much foster than the 10 Gbps Ethemet running on Cat 6/60/7 cables. The closest access and connectivity technologies ore Thunderbolt 3/4, USB 4, and HDMI 2.1, which provide 40 Gbps or higher maximum raw data rate Wi-Fi 7 supports 320 MHz channel bandwidth, twice that of Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 7 also improves the QAM granularity from 1024 (1K) to 4096 (4K), which increases the speeds by 20% compared to W-Fi 6/6E or Wi-Fi 5 Wave 3. Moreover, Wi-Fi 7 also doubles the maximum number of spotiol streams, which in certain ways is exchangeable with the number of antennas, from 8 to 16. Thus, os Wi-Fi 6/6E supports up to 9.6 Gbps for 8 spatial streams, Wi-Fi 7 supports up to 46 Gbps for 16 spatial streams (9.6 Gbps x2 (double bandwidth) x1.2 (QAM improvement] x2 (spatial streams). With such extremely high speeds, users can get maximum multi-gigabits (5.8 Gbps) per second speeds for commonly used devices such os smartphones, laptops, etc., with two Wi-Fi antennas (two spatial streams). Due to stringent power or form factor constraints, many devices using one antenna can also support a data rate up to 2.9 Gbps. Users can get more than 2x speeds without poying seewelecronicemoliercom for additional antennas or higher electricity bills because no additional power omplifiers or front-end modules are needed- «a paradigm shift for many opplications down the road Ultra-Low Latency Lotency is another critical porameter for quality of service (QoS) and user experience. It is porticulorly pivotal for real-time applications. Many multimedia applications such as high- resolution real-time video sireoming, virual reality, augmented reality, cloud gaming, and real-time programming require less than 20 ms latency. It is not easy to achieve such low latency in a wireless environment. The latency on the WAN side is roughly 10 ms or slightly longer between the modem and the cloud/server for fiber optics access. After considering that, the latency budget between the WAN modem and the endpoint client device should be obout 10ms or less to achieve a great user experience. Wi-Fi 6 achieves 10-20 ms latency. And WiFi 6E con achieve lower lotency ino much less contentious environment. Wi-Fi 7. will help bring down the latency to the sub-10 ms and eventually sub-1 ms realm with deterministic boundaries by utilizing various tools in the 802.1 1be standards. These tools include MLO, TWT, and rTWT, improved triggered transmissions, and ultimately integrated time-sensitive network (TSN) features. More Robust Connection As mentioned above, MLO provides a dynamic mechanism 0 adopt the connection among multiple links. MLO can nnncolectronicsmatarcom \_ WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY dynamically balance the tronsmission load on the connection between two link peers (e.9., AP and client device) based on metrics such as link auality for performance and robustness, a.k.a load baloncing. If there is interference or link loss (e.g., due to range) ‘on one of the links, the connection can still operate on the remaining links, and the transmission can seamlessly switch over from the foiled link fo the good links (a.k.0. fast failover). MRU/RU and preamble puncturing also facilitate the connection robusiness. For instance, when interference happens on specific subchannels or particular section of the spectrum of the operating channel, the AP can avoid using for interference mitigation and coexistence with incumbent ‘equipment, on top of Wi-Fi 5. Wi-Fi 6 provides more flexible subchannel puncturing patterns ‘ond can leverage RU in OFDMA mode to avoid interference ot a more granular level, as detailed os 2 MHz (smollest RU with 26- tones). Wi-Fi 6E supports ‘outomatic frequency coordination (AFC) for coexistence with incumbent ‘equipment. Wi-Fi 7, with MRU ‘ond uimost flexibility of preamble puncturing features that support all possible subchannel and high-resolution puncturing patterns in both OFDMA and non-OFDMA (MU- MIMO) modes, provides much betier interference mitigation, with optimal QoS for different types of services. + preamble Puneuens MR mien * Figure 5. Interference Mitigation and Coexistence by Preamble those interfered subchannels or RU/MRUs and optimize the transmission based on the current environmental situation cand channel status. In addition, MCS 14 and MCS 15, which ore defined to boos! signal SNR, also improve the robusiness of the connection when the distance between the link peers extends. Better Interference Mitigation and Coexistence Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E already enhance many features uncturing, MRU/RU and AFC Better Roaming User Experience MLO also improves the user experience for seamless roaming. It provides built-in roaming enhancement features defined in the 802.1 Ibe standards. For example, when the device moves farther from the AP MLO retoins the ML (multi-link) connection between the AP and device and may ‘outomatically operate on the 2.4 GHz band without switching bands. Vice versa, ifthe device moves closer to the AP MLO can ‘automatically and dynamically electronics maker + lanuory 2024 + (45)\ WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY operate on the § GHz and 6 GHz bands for higher performance. Today's Wi-Fi 6 and 6 APs must rely on band sfeering or client steering features at the application layer to forcefully steer the client to different bands. i does not always work as expected because the AP has no control over the client devices; the client devices decide to switch bands or not. Besides, compatibility ‘among vendors is another considerable challenge for seamless rooming. Even Higher Spectral Efficiency From the perspective of spectrum ulilization efficiency, WiFi 7 provides even higher efficiency than Wi-Fi 6/6E. The additional efficiency can benefit from multiple Wi-Fi 7 features, MRU, preamble puncturing, MLO, 4096 QAM, future 16 spatial streams, and coordinated mulfi-AP features such as coordinated beamforming, coordinated OFDMA, joint transmission, etc. Higher Power Efficiency and More Power Saving By leveraging the higher speeds, thanks to wider 320 MHz channel bandwidth, 4096 QAM, and lower latency, Wi-Fi 7 delivers dota with much higher power efficiency. Built on Wi-Fi 6 power-saving features, Wi-Fi 7 improves these features in many ways for optimal power savings. With MLO, client devices need not listen for every delivery trafic indication map (DTIM) beacon frame and do not perform group temporal key, integrity group temporal key, or beacon integrily group temporal key (GTK/IGTK/BIGTK) updates. The client can maintain one link for DTIM beacon updates, traffic indications, and BSS critical electronics maker + lanwary2024 + (46) Roaming Rearing Figure 6. Leveraging MLO for Seamless Roaming Experience updates and put other links into deep sleep without regular waking up for DTIM beacon updates. In addition to TWT, the most promising power-saving feature in Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 7 supporis the so-called triggered transmission opportunity (TXOP} sharing feature to further power saving. It allows an AP to allocate a portion of the time within an obtained TKOP to an ossociated client device for transmission so that it does not need to woke up in the next service period (SP). ‘onsemi also supports many proprietary dynamically adaptive power-saving features based on real-world opplication, real-time throughput, and environmental (e.g., lemperature) requirements. More Emerging Wi-Fi Sensing Applications In recent years, Wi-Fi sensing applications, such as motion detection, positioning (particularly indoors) based on WiFi channel state information (CS}), and fine time measurement/round trip time (FT/RTT), have attracted considerable interest from service providers and end-users. Wi-Fi channels are prone to interference, very dynamic ond frequency selective, and polluted CSI could dramatically degrade motion detection accuracy. Thanks to 320 MHz channel bandwidth, Wi-Fi 7 supports much richer CSI dota for up to 3984 tones, improving motion detection accuracy. Moreover, as so much CSI data can be coptured in a 320 MHz transmission, sufficient chunks of non-interfered CSI can be selected and used for motion detection while avoiding noisy CSI date. With 2x or 4x oversampling ‘ond upsampling techniques, RTT timestamp and measurement ‘occuracy can be in the sub- nanosecond resolution for 320 MHz signals. That is to say, Wi-Fi 7 supports sub-meter (i.e., 30 ccm) accuracy for ranging and indoor positioning, ond it will enable many exciting new Wi-Fi sensing applications. Conclusion WiFi 7 will significantly improve user experience in many ways and become more ‘economically efficient. It can enable and enhance many demanding applications, such as cloud gaming, immersive AR/VR, 8K video streaming, Industry 4.0, etc. Users can expect much higher speed, lower latency, and more robustness from Wi-Fi 7 than what existing Wi-Fi 6/6E can provide. Check out onsemi's current Wi-Fi solutions . swmlecronicsmoliercom WUE ST Wireless Charger Solution for Wearables ‘Siddharth GHOSH, Sr. Technical Marketing Manager, Power Discrete and Sub Analog, STMicroelectronis India 2022 with 46.9% y-o-y (year- over-year) growth, as shipments reached 100 million units, said Intemational Dato Corporation (IDC).As per India cellular Electronics Association (ICEA), India accounts for 4-5% of global weorables market by value, which is largely met through impors. Positive policies of the government could drive the complete domestic market to be catered for by local manufacturing ond the country could bag a minimum of 8-10% of the global market share through exports by 2026 as per ICEA study. | adio's wearable market ended nnncolectronicsmalercom The Indio market for earphones and smart watches rose to $2.8 billion in 2022 from $2.1 Billion in 2021.By 2026, the domestic wearables market is expected to touch $4 billion but manufacturing of wearables could reach $4.2 billion of exports. Implementation of Phased Manufacturing Plan (PMP) on wearables last year helped domestic production reached 40% of the locol market in 2022 ‘8 against negligible levels in 2021. After PMP. manufacturing growth for wearables reached ‘olmost 400% as companies started to produce locally as ‘ogoinst relying on imports. All mojor wearables brands such as Boat, Noise and Firebolt are scaling manufacturing in India. Innovation will be the key to product success and one of the emerging technologies that is gaining momentum is wireless charging. Inductive charging is the most popular wireless charging technology available followed by resonance-based charging. The Wireless Power Consortium maintains and develops the standards for a variety of wireless power electronics maker + January 2024 + (47)WIRELESS CHARGING applications. This includes Qi standords for smart phones and portable devices up to 15W of power. There are more than 350 ‘member companies in the consortium including semiconductor giant STMicroelecironics. ‘STMicroelectronics is a world leader in innovation and a leading supplier of Wireless Charging Solutions for personal electronics, medical and industrial applications. Wireless charging in personal electronics offers great advantages such as water and dust proof design resulting in increased product life, betier user experience and port free design. Wireless Power transfer without charging @ battery is nother use case which has numerous industrial applications where it can enhance the freedom of movement of robotic arms. In medical and beouty devices, wireless power enables @ hermetic product design which con be easily sterlized before subsequent use. STMicroelectronics offers o wide range of products delivering 1W to 100W of power. STWLC38 is a Qi 1.3 certified Receiver IC which is optimized for space constraint applications such as weorables cand hearables. t can deliver up to 15W of power and the total area of the solution (including peripheral components) is 7mm x 7mm, STWLC38 can be paired with STWBC86 which is the Transmiter IC. STWLC38 comes in o WLCSP40 package (Wofer Level Chip Scale Package) 2.1mm by 3.3mm. The Vout is configurable from 4y- 12v in 25mV resolution. Iris packed with the power of ARM 32-bit Cortex™- electronics maker + lorwar 2024 + (48) MO-+ core running at up to 64MHz, 32kB RRAM for Firmware patch-abiliy like flash memory, 64KB ROM and 16k8 RAM. Foreign Object Detection (FOD) is an important step in designing Wireless Power copplications. It enables the transmitter and receiver to identify the presence of a foreign object such as coils between the coils and cut off the power. Metal objects when placed in the magnetic field of the transmitter coil can quickly heat up due to generation of eddy currents. STWLC38 is capable of accurate vollage and current measurements and has several protections inbuilt to monitor conditions such as over current, ‘over voltage and over temperature. STWBC86 is a Qi1.2.4 compatible wireless power fransmitter which can transmit up to 5W within Qi spec and up to 15W in proprietary mode. It is 0 monolithic solution with integrated full-bridge inverter. It ‘also comes with an ARM 32-bit Cortex™-MO+ core running at up to 64MHz, 8 kB of FTP (Few Times Programmable Memory) for firmware paich-obilly and 8 kB RAM. The design is optimized for Qi Ala topology and has a low Rds-on inverter for higher efficiency. Migration from a wired solution to « wireless solution can be a challenging project. To make the process easier, ST has introduced ready solutions for e0sy adoption. STDES- WLC38WA (Figo) with STOES- WBCBE6TX (Fig ]b)is a complete solution pack for Wearable Application. It comes with PCB Gerber files, Firmware, Software, Design guidelines ond technical notes which allows the user to build the PCB and use it os 0 plug playdevice. The PCB area is?mm*7mm (Fig) and highly ‘optimised for space constraint ‘pplication. The STDES-WLC38TWS (Fig2a)is o ready solution for WS (True Wireless Stereo} charging cradle. The custom coil (Fig2b) is optimized for the TWS case and allows the user to build Wireless charging solution with ease. The time to market can be greatly reduced with the help of these reference designs. Figta: STDES-WLC3BWA Wearable Board based on STWLC3B igh: STDES-WBCa6TXTransmitter Boardbased on STWBC86 Fite: STDES-WLC3#Acomparisonwith Euro FigZa: STDES-WLC38TWSBoardbased ‘on STWLC3BRX 7] Fig: Custom Gol for STDES-WLC3BTWSBoard Efciecy is best in lass forthe power range from SW to 15¥(Fg3), vevmlecronicsmaiercom Fig3: Efficiency vs Rs Output Power The user experience with wireless chorging is greatly dependent on how easily the application can be charged. Wireless charging is undoubtedly hindered by the misalignment of the transmitter and the receiver. The lost thing we want fo see is that the phone or earpiece has been laying on the charger for 2hours ond not charged at alll ST has introduced o Rx Output Power patented technology, "ARC or Adoptive rectifier Configuration which allows the receiver to charge even if it is up to 50% misaligned with the transmitter. This greatly enhances the user experience who can casually just place the smart watch on the charger without paying too much attention to aligning the charging coils and sill get charged. Wee Eo) Another great use case that is enabled by ST's receiver ICs, is reverse charging. This allows the users fo use a wireless receiver to function as a wireless transmitter or charger. For instance, the user can use the smart phone fo charge another device such as a smart watch or another smart phone. Design houses also face an uphill task when it comes to Qi certification which is a time taking and expensive exercise ST offers pre compliance testing to enable innovators to get a head start into interoperability and conformance to Qi standords. To learn more on how ST could help your next product go completely wireless do visit: www.st.com/wirelesscharging. LUO) erry OUT PTTL vwmnolectronicmakercom electronics maker + january 2024 + (49)GG Convergence India has been leading the digital revolution by providing an international platform for the Indian industry to grow, contribute towards nation-building, and emerge as a global leader. 9 Q Tell us about the 31st Convergence India and the Sth Smart Cities India expo organised by the Exhibitions India Group. Since 1992, Convergence India hos heralded the telecom and digital revolutions in India During this time, it hos remained at the forefront of promoting electronics maker + lanvory2024 + (50) Ms. Chandrika Behl, Managing Director, Exhibitions India Group The 31st Convergence India Expo is the largest Tech event in India that brings together various sectors through the convergence of technologies. Since 1992, it has played a pivotal role in India's telecom revolution. It now showcases the shift to the digital era. It is co- located with 9th Smart Cities India Expo, and is being organized by the Exhibitions India Group (EIG), along with the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs (MOHUA) and ITPO (Ministry of Commerce & Industry), and will be held from 17th-19th January 2024 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. In this interview Ms. Chandrika Behl, Managing Director, Exhibitions India Group spoke about the key attractions of the event and how this event will help in bringing economic growth of the country. technological advancements in the fields of telecom, Satcom, broadcast, wired & wireless technologies, 5G & 6G networks, IT solutions such as Cloud, Big Data and analytics, ‘Al, smart solutions, M2M, mobile & accessories, loT, ‘embedded tech, blockchain, and FinTech - the entire gamut of digital solutions. The 2024 edition of the expo celebrates what we have achieved thus far to help create a digital infrastructure through digital inclusion to bridge the digital, social and economic divide. Its also an opportunity to showcase India's growing popularity os a digital powerhouse and its ability to emerge as @ clear leader. The 9h Smart Cities India wwelecronicsmolieccom 2024 expo is « display of India's emerging modernisation and development landscape by showcasing the integration of transformative technologies with the key pillars of urban development - green buildings, rooftop solar, renewable & clean energy, clean environment, clean water, water conservation, urban mobility, and the use of innovative ICT solutions for optimising resources that make cities smart and sustainable The two expos offer a comprehensive platform for domestic and overseas players, innovators, technologists and startups from all urbon development segments, mobiliy, and smart & sustainable technologies to unleash the power of physical networking, expand business opportunities, cand make new alliances. The expos focus on creating 0 modern India through landmark initiatives such as ‘Digital Indio!, "Make in India’, ‘Atmonirbhar Bharot, ‘Stortup India’, the ‘Smart Cities Mission’, ‘Swachh Bharat, al Jeevan Mission), and other associated missions. Q what should the industry expect from this year's event? Orgonised by the Exhibitions India Group and ITPO, the 31st Convergence India and the 9h Smart Cities India expo will be the go-to event for anyone associated with the digital and urban development space. Convergence Indio will showcase emerging ond disruptive technologies and innovations in loT, Al, design applications, bleckchain, Big Data ond analyics, Telecom/Sotcom, 5G & 6G snncalectronicsmatercom networks, E-commerce solutions, Cloud, Embedded Tech, Fintech, ‘and more. Meanwhile, the Smart ites India expo focuses on the latest technologies and solutions in green buildings, energy, ‘ransport, clean environment, etc. It explores their integration into urban development to make Gities ‘smor! ond ‘sustainable’ This year, the expo is bigger cond better thon ever, with over 1,200 paricipanis from 35 countries, including 250 startups congregating on a common platform to exchange ideas and deliberate on the indusirys future. Up to 50 conference sessions will be organised olongside the three-day event, where senior speakers from various government deparimenis, public secior undertakings, and private players will share experiences ‘and provide input on the challenges faced by various sectors. Over 55,000 visitors will get a chance to interact, explore ‘ond make alliances in one of the fastest-growing markels in the world. The expo will also be graced by the presence of Ministers ond senior dignitaries from the Government of Indio, long with industry leaders, Smart City CEOs, city planners, Mayors, Ambassadors and stakeholders from India and ‘round the globe. Q What wil be the key attractions at this year's event? This year, we will showcose cover 1,200 participants from 35 countries. Up to 250 startups will showcase their vision for the future. Up to 50 conference sessions will host speakers from government deportments/ministries alongside private players from India and worldwide who will delve into the challenges facing us and chart a course for the future of various sectors. Notably, at this year's event, we expect fo welcome ‘over 55,000 visitors who will get to explore the latest innovations ond technology developments on offer today. Key Atiractions of the Expo: * Country Pavilions from: > Russia > Armenia * The international conference will have concurrent sessions ‘over three days and focus on the government’ initiatives to develop India into a digital ‘economy. Interesting discussion creas will include Al-driven telecom; India as the next mobile manufacturing hub; a multi-slakeholder approach for Circulor cities; Indian gaming landscape; multimodal inlegration and mobility as a service; advances in green hydrogen value chain; metaverse; cyber security in the 6G era, etc © Other significant attractions include Experiential Zones, global product launches, curated marketing suppor, business matchmaking, a City Leaders Conclave, and indusiry awards. * Curated B2B meetings during the show. This value-added service will assist exhibitors in establishing new business engagements and creating lucrative business opportunities through one-to-one interaction. + The expo has received support from the following ministries & govt. compaigns: Digital India, Skill Indic, Smart Cities Mission, Swachh Bharat Mission, Ministry of Commerce, electronics maker + January 2024 + (51)Ministy of Electronics & Information Technology, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of External Affoirs, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climote Change, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministy of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Minisiry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Ministry of Science & Technology, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) Q Please share something about the co-located expos. The 2024 expo ims to bring together the latest technology innovations and trends in the fields of telecom, Saicom, broadcast, wired/wireless technologies, 5G & 6G networks, IT solutions like Cloud, Big Data ond analytics, Al, smart solutions, M2M, mobile & accessories, oT, embedded tech, blockchain, Fintech, digital gaming, and much more. Co-located Expos and Povilions: * Mobile India expo is India's largest, longest-running and most trusted trade show for mobile devices, Accessories, hearobles, wearables & lifestyle godgels ecosystem, providing a robust buyer-seller platform to all industry ployers. Heralding the growth in the industry, Mobile India hos witnessed exponential growth over the lost six editions. The focused business profile ofits high- quality buyers and exhibitors makes the Mobile India expo 0 electronics maker + lanwary2024 + (52) unique platform for brand ‘owners & manufacturers to network with emerging brands, distributors, wholesalers, stockists, department stores, corporate buyers & end users - enabling porticipants to showcase cutting-edge technology, create strong brand ‘owareness and develop a robust distribution channel * The Internet of Things India expo will be the focal point for established businesses, startups cond tech talent to meet with top investors, influencers and professionals, It will showcase loT innovations in cloud and big data, virtual and augmented reality, arfficial intelligence, smart cities, design applications, enablers, Industrial loT, data onalytics and many other disruptive technologies for enterprises. © The Embedded Tech India expo provides a platform to showcase the latest irends & developments in the Embedded Technology ecosystem that power smart devices, smart manufacturing, smart transport, smart industries, smart homes, smart cities, loT devices and demonstrations showcasing the reliability of electronic systems, IoT opplicotions, distributed intelligence, microcontrollers, sensors and solutions for smart future and other technology solutions. * FinTech India expo Showcases ‘Companies and institutions involved in financial technologies, including Blockchain, Digital Banking, E- ‘Wallets, Payment Gateways, Point of Sales (PoS) & Payment Solutions, Cyber Security, Banking & Insurance Solutions, Accounting & Auditing Solutions, E-commerce Solutions, Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Transactional Platforms, Dota Analytics ond more. *+ The Digital Gaming India expo will showcase emerging trends and technologies in the ‘gaming sector, from sofware solutions in Animations, VFX, Software Developers, Cloud Computing, Digital Goming Services, etc. & also focus on hardware components in Chipsets for Motherboards, Console Gaming Platforms, CPU Manufacturers, Desktop Goming Platforms and more. + Stortup Hub Pavilion - at the 31st Convergence India 2024 expo will feature over 250 startups, bringing innovations cocross the different verticals of emerging technologies, ICT, and ‘Smart Cities technologies. There will be mentoring sessions from the pioneers of the ecosystem, specially curated conference sessions, a Start Pitch Competition, and an Investor ond startup meet. Startups will generate 828 leads and build meaningful business relations with industry stakeholders. Q What kind of audience is expected to attend the expo? There will be o wide display of the latest technologies on disploy, such os: Technologies on Display: + IT & Communicotions: GPON / FTTH products (ONT, OUT), Android / iOS Apps for WiFi Management, FTTx Infra, Unified Communications & Enterprise Telecom Products, 5G xHaul Timing Aware Switch, Network TAPs & Packet Brokers, 5G Infrastructure - Test & Verification + Satellite Communications Satellite |OT Network ‘Communication, iNetVu mobile vm olecronicsmolieecom antennas, VAST systems with one button, motorised ond automatic + OTT/ IPTV: AndroidTV, Medio Player, Video streaming Solutions, Video Delivery over IP Headend in the CLOUD, Middleware, Cloud Streaming, Cloud Distribution, Video Appliances * Broadcast, Content Distribution and Delivery: Set- Top Box, DTH Antenna, Satellite Receiver, Media Storage, CDN, Head End & Cable TV, Coble SMS, ISP AAA Server & CRM Application + loT /Al/ ML, Data Analytics & Big Data: Industrial Cellular Router (4G/SG}, Industrial Switches, PoE LAN extenders, Media Converter, IOT Hardware Manufacturer, OT Gateway, |O Cards and Customized Products, Routers, Gateways, Telecom Monitoring Solution and Eneray Meters. * Embedded Tech: Electronic Components, PCB, Electronic Manufacturing Services, Server Motherboard, Desktop Motherboard, Memory products, DashCam (DVR) + FinTech, Cyber Security & Surveillance: Lending Solutions, Insurance Solutions, Retail Solutions, e-Learning & Immersive Technology, Payment Aggregator, Treasury Management, Spend Management and Corporate Cards Platform, CBS, POS Solutions & Equipment, Risk Assessment and Digital KYC '* Mobile Accessories: TWS, Wireless Speaker, Heodset, Wireless Headphone, Power Bonks, Mobile Battery, USB Cables, Touch Screen, LCD, Connectors, Plugs and Jacks, RF wuncalactroncsmateccom Connectors, Charger Connectors, Neckband Headphones, Mobile Phone Charger, Wired Earphone o Digital Gaming: Gaming Application Software's Keyshot, ‘AR/VR Equipments Apps & Gomes, Games Developer, drones, cameras, telescopes & goming consoles Q Please share your views on how Digital India has impacted the lives of ordinary citizens. The Government of India launched the Digital india Programme to transform India into 0 digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. The programme is centred on three key vision areas - Digital infrastructure as @ core utility to every citizen, governance and services on demand, and digital ‘empowerment of citizens. The ‘overall goal is to ensure that digital technologies improve the life of every citizen, expand India's digital economy, create investment and employment ‘opportunities, and build digital technological capabilites in India. Digital India acts like a bridge between the government ‘ond citizens by transparently delivering substantial services to the beneficiary In the process, India has emerged as one of the leading nations using technology to transform the lives of its citizens Digital India hos also created an ecosystem for successfully implementing E- Governance across depariments fo ensure the electronic delivery of services. The process has created a transparent environment for the common ‘man to review the government's local, State or national performance. For example, JAM Trinity (Jan Dhon-Aadhar- Mobile) has emerged as the face of Digital Indio. Besides Aadhaor providing a 12-digit biometric and demographic-bosed unique online identity for every citizen, it hos become the basis for millions to avail of financial and other subsidies, benefits and services. Similorly, through technology uptake, the Jan- Dhan Yojana has given access to various financial services, like basic savings accounts, cheap credit, insurance, ond pensions, to the weaker sections and low- income groups. Meanwhile, there has been an impressive growth in the number of mobile users in the country, with Indio emerging os the second-largest market in the world. Today, digital technology is part of our daily lives and encompasses almost everything, Digital technologies have advanced more rapidly than any innovation in recent history, changing how business is done and transforming societies Technology con be a great equaliser by enhancing connectivity financial inclusion, access to trade and public services. For example, in the health sector, Al-enabled frontier technologies are helping to save lives, diagnose diseases and extend life expectancy. In education, virtual and distance learning environments have opened new opportunities for students who would otherwise be excluded. Data pooling and Al are used to irack and diagnose issues in agriculture, health, and the environment or to perform daily tasks such as navigating traffic or paying a bill electronics maker + January 2024 + (53)