Cubic Telecom of Dublin, the software defined network specialist, has had a $5m investment from Qualcomm and Sierra Wireless on top of the $10m already invested in the company.
Cubic is now looking for a further $15m.
Customers for Cubic’s dynamically configurable over-the-air provisioning software “to any device, anywhere”, include Lenovo, China Unicom, HP and Panasonic.
The technology is seen as useful for the internet of things (IoT).
Q1 revenue for industrial ICs was up 0.6% from Q4 at $8.6 billion, according to IHS – a good result in a traditionally weak quarter.
Compared to Q1 2013, it was up 17.5%.
The sector could record $35.42 billion in revenue this year, up 9.4% from 2013’s $32.39 billion.
This means 2014 could be the strongest period in several years for the market, following growth of 8.8% in 2013 after a 5% loss in 2012.
“Industrial was second only to the mighty wireless space in racking up revenue for the total semiconductor market,” says IHS’ Robbie Galoso.
Q1 drivers were factory automation, commercial aircraft, light-emitting-diode (LED) lighting, climate control, renewable energy, medical electronics, application-specific testers and transportation.
The segments benefited from a rapidly stabilising housing market, improved consumer finances, increased capital spending and better credit conditions.
In contrast, the segments that did not do as well were homeland security, military aircraft, and general-purpose test and measurement. A tighter US defence budget was responsible for military- and security-related declines, while lengthening capital-approval cycles negatively impacted test and measurement.
TI reported broad-based growth for the quarter in such areas as motor drives in factory automation.
ADI turned in higher-than-expected performance in all its major applications that included energy and military applications.
Maxim enjoyed strong medical electronics growth via analogue solutions in low-power and portable patient-monitor devices.
Microsemi rebounded with revenue derived from electronic-oriented aircraft such as the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350.
Among the firms that struggled during the period were Cree, Nichia and Philips Lumileds—all of which fell victim to normal seasonal pressures in the LED lighting area.
NXP and Xilinx reported sales declines across a number of customer accounts.
China could change the way the mobile chip world works by its treatment of Qualcomm.
China has declared Qualcomm a monopoly in China and may be about to declare that Qualcomm has abused that monopoly. If it does, Qualcomm could be fined up to $1.2 billion.
Qualcomm is complaining that it’s Chinese licensees are under-stating sales so as to reduce royalties, while other Chinese companies are delaying signing licences until the abuse of monopoly legal process is concluded.
China has a big interest in promoting the local consolidated mobile phone company Unigroup-RDA-Spreadtrum. High licensing fees would make it uncompetitive.
The danger for Qualcomm is that the China government will not acknowledge the validity of the system under which Qualcomm operates and that Qualcomm will find its IP unprotectable in China.
Qualcomm can’t walk away from China without incurring a big penalty – half of its $25 billion revenues came from China last year,
Spansion is sampling its S6AP412A series of multi-channel DC-to-DC power management ICs (PMICs) and expects to have production volumes available in September starting at $3.60 in volumes of 1,500 units.
The S6AP412A series — an expansion of the Spansion MB39C031 family of DC-to-DC buck-converter, programmable PMICs — supplies three channels of power on a single chip to cutting-edge system-on-chip (SoC) products, memory and peripheral products that make up the core of office automation equipment and network devices with advanced image and voice processing functions.
Systems equipped with the latest SoCs require control of a 3-channel power supply sequence when starting up or disconnecting the power supply. The Spansion S6AP412A uses software to enable flexible and precise power supply sequence control. In addition, by enabling 3-channel power supply within a single chip, the BOM for the power supply block can be reduced and the board surface area can be reduced by approximately 30 percent compared to conventional products.
The new product also uses the common Inter-Integrated Circuit (I2C) communication interface to enable switching to an optimum voltage according to the SoC operation mode and process conditions while maintaining the output, and is thus able to support both Dynamic Voltage Scaling (DVS) and Advanced Supply Voltage (ASV) technologies. The S6AP412A series also supports reduced power consumption by systems through precision control of the voltage used by cutting-edge SoCs.
“This new PMIC expands our power management portfolio, providing the freedom to design with software, and delivers high performance and a lower power consumption and BOM than previously required to support high-end graphics and voice functions of large-scale systems in office automation systems,” says Spansion’s Tom Sparkman, “the multi-channel power supply eliminates the need for dedicated power supply lines to each component and aids in the trend of miniaturisation in system design.”
The chips support advanced power supply sequence control, and therefore complex power supply startup and disconnect sequences of systems with various part architectures can also be flexibly supported with software.
Easy preparation of startup and disconnect sequence for the power supply line: The latest systems require optimal control of the 3-channel power supply sequence when starting up and disconnecting, and this product can freely and flexibly control various sequences through software control. In addition, a method to step-up and step-down the voltage is adopted for the channel used for peripheral devices, and a stable output can be achieved even with a single cell lithium-ion battery and a 3.3V input.
By adopting this product, systems that require different sequences can be supported while maintaining the same hardware, the need to prepare new hardware when expanding a derived family can be eliminated, additional investments can be reduced, design resources can be effectively utilized, and added value can be easily provided to the user.
Supports DSV and ASV control using an I2C interface: High-performance processing is realized by dynamically controlling the power-supply voltage of the latest SoC that use advanced processes, thereby enabling a reduction in system power consumption.
Other features and specifications include:
1. 0.7 to 1.32V for SoCs (with an electric current supply of up to 4Amps); 1.2 to 1.95V for memory and 2.8~3.5V for peripheral devices with a single chip.
2. Built-in passive components (output voltage setting resistance, phase assurance circuit) reducing the BOM necessary to configure the power-supply block and reducing the surface-mount area by approximately 30 percent.
The Spansion S6AP413A series also is available with dual-system output support: A 2-system voltage output option is also available to enable support of systems equipped with dual SoC (with a maximum of 2-Amps output for each system with a supply voltage range of 0.7 to 1.32V). This series can also supply power with a single chip to systems equipped with two CPUs. In addition, a lineup of preset values for output voltages tailored to the main SoC voltages is available.
The new Euro 6 car emissions standards coming into force in September will require at least 20 sensors per auto engine, says IHS.
Most of the new sensors are related to exhaust aftertreatment because of new emissions laws with NOx reduction a focus alongside that of carbon dioxide.
As a pollutant, NOx has long been a stronger focus for US legislation, which also dictates that the emission parameters are measured under realistic driving cycle conditions.
But European legislators have also become tougher on this gas in recent years. IHS forecasts that the market for NOx sensors will grow at a CAGR of 9.3% during the next five years from 2014 to 2019.
The global market for sensors used in internal combustion engines (ICE) is on the road of steady growth for the next few years, propelled by increasing utilisation in engine management and exhaust after-treatment.
Sensor shipments for engines will top 1.34 billion units in 2019, up from about 1.08 billion in 2013, as shown in the attached figure. Overall, the six-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2013 to 2019 will equate to 3.6 percent.
“Shipments of ICE sensors are growing slightly faster than car shipments,” says IHS’ Richard Dixon, “the main reason is that new concepts in emissions mitigation in the engine and in exhaust after-treatment systems require advanced sensors for their operation. Added to that, emission legislation in some major markets of the world, like China, is beginning to catch up with that of mature markets like the U.S., Europe and Japan, at least in the larger cities.”
IHS examines more than 20 sensors attached to the engine, fuel and exhaust systems of passenger vehicles. The list includes pressure sensors, devices to monitor flow and temperature, ceramic sensors for the gases nitrogen oxide (NOx) and oxygen, in addition to knock sensing, position and speed.
Among the 24 applications identified for sensors used in ICEs, several measurements have been essential to electronic fuel management systems for more than 20 years: the position of the throttle and crankshaft, the absolute air pressure of the intake manifold and the residual oxygen in the exhaust. And multiple sensor insertions are possible—depending on the pipe configuration, a gasoline engine can feature four oxygen sensors, two of which serve an on-board diagnostics function to check for correct operation, although a diesel engine still has only one oxygen sensor, located before the diesel oxygen catalyst.
The biggest category for sensing is temperature measurement, with multiple sensors to be found on exhaust systems. The technology used is typically platinum-based resistance temperature detector (RTD) sensors to withstand temperatures of up to 1,000 C (1,832 F). On average, approximately two temperature sensors are used per vehicle. At lower temperatures, negative-resistance sensors (NTC) or semiconductor integrated circuits are also deployed. Examples include engine-coolant monitoring to protect against overheating, intake air measurement or in exhaust-gas recirculation systems used to lower NOx output from the engine.
At other points in the powertrain, the fuel injection system and cylinder pressure are proving to be interesting new opportunities for pressure sensor suppliers. Although cylinder-pressure sensing has been largely too expensive for car manufacturers to adopt, IHS expects significant growth in this area in coming years, led by Volkswagen and Daimler in diesel engines. Owing to the low penetration today, growth rates in the coming five years to 2019 are high at more than a 40 percent CAGR.
The type of engine has an impact on exhaust systems. Lean-burn engines require more sensors than standard, stoichiometric engines because the exhaust aftertreatment is more complex. The high residual oxygen content in the exhaust of these engines makes it impossible for conventional three-way catalysts to reduce NOx pollutants.
Diesel and some direct injection gasoline engines fall into this category. These engines require feedback on NOx concentration in the exhaust stream as part of the emission control system. Stoichiometric engines—some direct injected engines and all modern port injected engines—do not need a NOx sensor.
In addition, many vehicles today feature some kind of forced induction—turbo- or supercharging—of the fuel/air mix. The increased use of turbochargers is the main factor enabling engines to be made smaller and less polluting.
As these boosters become more sophisticated, such as having a variable geometry, position sensing becomes important. So far, though, turbocharger speed sensing is mostly confined to the large commercial vehicle segment and is not yet widely found in cars.
For the first time, European Euro 6 legislation specifies a particle number per kilometer as a key measure, with phased-in adoption. Direct injection gasoline engines produce more hazardous particles than standard gasoline multi-port injection engines. This means that gasoline particle filters on the exhaust will be adopted in the former, along with the means for self-monitoring, which will drive the use of particle mass and possibly pressure sensors.
Particle filters have been used on diesel engines to reduce NOx since legislation in Euro 4. In particular, diesel particle filters have pressure sensors to monitor the filter when it is clogged, indicating to the engine ECU when to regenerate the filter—a process that also requires temperature sensing.
Sensor adoption also has a strong regional emphasis. As emissions standards are not yet harmonized worldwide, less stringent emission standards than those affecting U.S., Japanese or EU standards are in play, which leads to lower sensor content in emerging markets. A gasoline-engine vehicle in Iran or Malaysia, for instance, will have a much lower sensor requirement than an engine in Japan. The difference can be as many as 10 sensors.
Analogue is outpacing the industry. Average annual analogue IC unit growth rate is forecast by IC Insights to be 8.9% between 2013 and 2018 compared to 7.2% growth forecast for the industry as a whole.
Analogue unit shipments grew 15% in 2013 to become the first IC product category to ship more than 100 billion units in a calendar year period and are forecast to grow another 12.4% in 2014.
Analogue unit shipments as a percentage of total IC shipments have been on the increase for more than 30 years due to single-chip integration of digital ICs and ongoing system growth.
In 1980, analogue ICs represented 32% of total IC shipments, but that increased to nearly 40% in 1990, 46% in 2000, 49% in 2010, and is forecast to grow to 57% of total IC shipments in 2018.
Demand for medical/health electronics, LED lighting systems, and green energy management systems (lighting, temperature, security, etc.) for homes and commercial buildings is expected to keep analogue unit growth much more robust than other IC product categories through the forecast period.
Professor Asen Asenov
Gold Standard Simulations (GSS), professor Asen Asenov’s IC production statistical analysis company, has signed a multi-million dollar contract to license its complete TCAD/EDA tool suite to Globalfoundries.
The fully integrated and automated tool chain includes Garand, the GSS ‘atomistic’ TCAD simulator; Mystic, the GSS statistical compact model extractor; and RandomSpice, the GSS statistical circuit simulator.
The GSS tool suite is the world’s only fully integrated tool chain that performs simulation- based design/technology co-optimisation (DTCO) in advanced bulk, FDSOI and FinFET CMOS technologies, including statistical variability and reliability.
“The GSS simulation tools offer significant competitive TCAD advantages that support technology development by providing a seamless flow from Monte Carlo transistor simulation through physical simulation of statistical variability, extraction of accurate statistical compact models, and circuit simulation,” said GloFo’s Francis Benistant. “This integrated tool-chain provides a highly efficient TCAD environment that greatly accelerates technology design and circuit co-optimisation to accelerate technology development.”
“We are delighted to have Globalfoundries as a GSS customer. I believe this relationship will prove to be highly symbiotic and will lead to advances in both Globalfoundries technology offerings and in driving future developments in the GSS tool chain,” said Asenov, who is professor of electrical engineering at Glasgow University as well as CEO of GSS.
“The significance of this is that a small start-up company from Scotland with no venture capital has won a multimillion-dollar deal with the second largest foundry in the world,” added Asenov. “This is in competition with mighty EDA companies like Synopsys.”
Silego has brought out two more CMICs (configurable mixed-signal ICs) in its GreenPak (GPak) series of tiny, fast to programme, configurable ICs.
The SLG46116V and SLG46117V are the first GPAK devices to enable 1 A P-Channel mosfet soft-start power switching, controlled with a mixed-signal matrix, in a 1.6×2.5×0.55 mm seven-GPIO STQFN package.
The soft-start power switch has fixed slew rate control, and is available with an integrated discharge path (SLG46117V) or without (SLG46116V).
SLG46116V and SLG46117V projects use GPak development hardware and GPak Designer.
“Silego’s latest devices add intelligent power switching functionality to the analogue and digital functions provided by GPAK,” said Silego’s Nathan John.
ARM had Q2 revenues of $309m, up 17% year-on-year for a profit of $160m.
Forty-one new licences were signed in Q2, six of which were by first time licensees.
“The 41 processor licences signed in Q2 were driven by demand for ARM technology in smart mobile devices, consumer electronics and embedded computing chips for the internet-of-things (IoT), and include further licences for ARMv8-A and Mali processor technology,” said Simon Segars, “this bodes well for growth in ARM’s medium and long term royalty revenues
Seven new ARMv8-A licences were signed – taking the total to 50 licenses with 28 partners, eight of which are in China.
It was a record quarter for new Mali licences. Eight Mali multimedia processor licences were signed, including the first licences for video and display processors
Processor licensing revenue was up 42% year-on-year, and processor royalty revenue was up 2% year-on-year.
There was 11% growth year-on-year in overall unit shipments, to 2.7 billion ICs.
During the quarter, ARM delivered the Juno development platform to support the development of the next generation of Android L devices on the ARM V8-A architecture.
Three semiconductor vendors debuted ARM-based server solutions
“Market data indicates improving semiconductor industry conditions, leading to the expectation of an acceleration in royalty revenue growth in H2 2014.”
Raspberry Pi B+
Raspberry Pi has been updated. The new version, called B+, costs £20 and uses less power.
“We’ve been blown away by the projects that have been made possible through the original B boards and, with its new features, the B+ has massive potential to push the boundaries and drive further innovation,” says co-creator Eben Upton.
The B+ has a four-pole connector and can run four USB connected peripherals without needing mains power or an external hub.
It uses the same Broadcom IC as previous versions and has the same 512Mbit of memory.
