Author Archives: richard wilson

5G will need a radio technology change

Research is indicating there will be a completely new radio technology for the 5G mobile communications standard expected to hit the market by 2020.

MiWaveS 5G network concept

MiWaveS 5G network concept

Research work in the UK and across Europe into the next generation mobile phone standard is now focusing on the use of millimetre wave radio transmission at very high 30-300GHz frequencies.

If implemented, this will represent the biggest technology change for a mobile generation since the switch from analogue to digital GSM technology more than a decade ago.

For researchers in the UK, France and Germany everything is up for grabs. The standards work for the radio access network (RAN) has yet to begin.

The first discussions on potential global standards will start next month at a 3GPP standards meeting in Arizona.

According to Professor Rahim Tafazolli, director of the 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC) at the University of Surrey:

“Global 5G research is still taking place in isolation, but this will change. Various groups have different technology favourites, and the 3GPP standardisation discussions will start in September. I expect technology selection will start in 2016.”

The use of the millimetre wave frequency band, which is 30-300GHz, has benefits of spectrum efficiency, the use of lower power radio cells and data capacity, but will have significant implications for chipset makers.

In particular, the general switch from CMOS to gallium arsenide and gallium nitride process technologies.

The other reason for the radical jump in frequency is the lack of sufficient spectrum below 6GHz, which leads to high interference levels.

According to Dr. Laurent Dussopt from CEA-Leti and manager of the European Commission-funded MiWaveS project, the use of the millimetre wave frequency bands at 60GHz and 71-86GHz will enable data transmissions up to 10Gbit/s for backhaul and 5Gbit/s for mobile user access.

However, Dussopt believes this will be a challenge for the system architecture, networking functions and algorithms, radio and antenna technologies.

Millimetre wave radios use much higher carrier frequencies than 4G or Wi-Fi, allowing higher data rates, which could be as much as 50 times faster than 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. And at 60GHz there is significantly more unallocated spectrum.

According to researchers at The University of Bristol, which is also working on millimetre wave technology, the challenge at 60GHz is how to overcome the additional signal losses. If transmit powers and antenna gains were equal, at 60GHz the received signal would be 1000x weaker than a Wi-Fi signal.

Nokia’s Networks division is working with National Instruments to demonstrate the viability of high-frequency millimetre wave transmission for 5G.

“Our experimental 5G Proof-of-Concept system will be implemented using NI’s LabVIEW and PXI baseband modules, which is the state-of-art experimental system for rapid prototyping of 5G air interface available today,” said Lauri Oksanen, vice-president of research and technology at Nokia.

Aspects of the next generation mobile communications technology the companies are researching are peak data rates and cell-edge rates in excess of 10Gbit/s and 100Mbit/s, respectively.

Work in the European MiWaveS project is intended to demonstrate how low-cost or advanced millimetre wave technologies can provide multiGigabits per second access to mobile users and contribute to sustain the traffic growth.

It believes the exploitation of the available millimetre wave spectrum will be a key element in building high-throughput and low latency infrastructures for next generation heterogeneous mobile networks.

The UK’s main 5G research centre, the 5GIC at the University of Surrey is to be part of the MiWave S project.

Other project members include: CEA-Leti, Orange, Nokia, Intel, National Instruments Dresden and STMicroelectronics.

Richard Wilson

5G will need a radio technology change

Research is indicating there will be a completely new radio technology for the 5G mobile communications standard expected to hit the market by 2020.

MiWaveS 5G network concept

MiWaveS 5G network concept

Research work in the UK and across Europe into the next generation mobile phone standard is now focusing on the use of millimetre wave radio transmission at very high 30-300GHz frequencies.

If implemented, this will represent the biggest technology change for a mobile generation since the switch from analogue to digital GSM technology more than a decade ago.

For researchers in the UK, France and Germany everything is up for grabs. The standards work for the radio access network (RAN) has yet to begin.

The first discussions on potential global standards will start next month at a 3GPP standards meeting in Arizona.

According to Professor Rahim Tafazolli, director of the 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC) at the University of Surrey:

“Global 5G research is still taking place in isolation, but this will change. Various groups have different technology favourites, and the 3GPP standardisation discussions will start in September. I expect technology selection will start in 2016.”

The use of the millimetre wave frequency band, which is 30-300GHz, has benefits of spectrum efficiency, the use of lower power radio cells and data capacity, but will have significant implications for chipset makers.

In particular, the general switch from CMOS to gallium arsenide and gallium nitride process technologies.

The other reason for the radical jump in frequency is the lack of sufficient spectrum below 6GHz, which leads to high interference levels.

According to Dr. Laurent Dussopt from CEA-Leti and manager of the European Commission-funded MiWaveS project, the use of the millimetre wave frequency bands at 60GHz and 71-86GHz will enable data transmissions up to 10Gbit/s for backhaul and 5Gbit/s for mobile user access.

However, Dussopt believes this will be a challenge for the system architecture, networking functions and algorithms, radio and antenna technologies.

Millimetre wave radios use much higher carrier frequencies than 4G or Wi-Fi, allowing higher data rates, which could be as much as 50 times faster than 2.4GHz Wi-Fi. And at 60GHz there is significantly more unallocated spectrum.

According to researchers at The University of Bristol, which is also working on millimetre wave technology, the challenge at 60GHz is how to overcome the additional signal losses. If transmit powers and antenna gains were equal, at 60GHz the received signal would be 1000x weaker than a Wi-Fi signal.

Nokia’s Networks division is working with National Instruments to demonstrate the viability of high-frequency millimetre wave transmission for 5G.

“Our experimental 5G Proof-of-Concept system will be implemented using NI’s LabVIEW and PXI baseband modules, which is the state-of-art experimental system for rapid prototyping of 5G air interface available today,” said Lauri Oksanen, vice-president of research and technology at Nokia.

Aspects of the next generation mobile communications technology the companies are researching are peak data rates and cell-edge rates in excess of 10Gbit/s and 100Mbit/s, respectively.

Work in the European MiWaveS project is intended to demonstrate how low-cost or advanced millimetre wave technologies can provide multiGigabits per second access to mobile users and contribute to sustain the traffic growth.

It believes the exploitation of the available millimetre wave spectrum will be a key element in building high-throughput and low latency infrastructures for next generation heterogeneous mobile networks.

The UK’s main 5G research centre, the 5GIC at the University of Surrey is to be part of the MiWave S project.

Other project members include: CEA-Leti, Orange, Nokia, Intel, National Instruments Dresden and STMicroelectronics.

Richard Wilson

Position sensing is all about seeing black

Light-based proximity sensors for use in robots and 3D printers must not be fooled by transparent or black surfaces, says Gabriele Fulco

Figure 1: Reflective microsensor

Figure 1: Reflective microsensor

A surprising number of systems depend on the ability to accurately locate and identify physical objects. Robots need not only to detect obstacles, but also to identify the type of floor they are on, and to be aware of steps before they fall off them.

3D printers and IP cameras each present a whole new set of challenges. Vending machines need to handle a growing number of different types of packaging, including transparent glass and plastics.

The role of sensors

Light-based proximity sensors, alternatively known as photo‑microsensors (Figure 1), slotted switches, opto-switches or optical switches and photo interrupters, are generally used to detect the presence or absence of objects, to measure the speed and direction of rotating objects and in other applications.

Infra-red and visible LEDs have rated lifespans of over 100,000 hours, giving opto-switches an effectively infinite operational life. They can switch in four microseconds and operate at high frequency of up to 3,000 counts per second.

These characteristics make transmissive and reflective photo microsensors deservedly popular in office equipment, industrial automation systems, vending machines and home and building automation.

Figure 2: Transmissive slotted photo-interrupter

Figure 2: Transmissive slotted photo-interrupter

Of the newer applications, 3D printers require detection of the position of the print head, and confirmation of correct feeding and movement of the filament; IP cameras need to detect the angle and position of the camera body; and there are countless requirements to detect position in fitness and massaging machines.

Established styles don’t necessarily fully address these new applications. Although they detect most surface textures and colours, they don’t easily detect transparent objects and can be fooled by black items too.

Many have a ‘slotted’ style where the size of the object detected is limited by the width of the slot (Figure 2). They do have a long sensing distance, which can be good, but can also be a drawback as spurious detections can result from objects moving into the background.

New approaches

New technologies are emerging which not only benefit the newer designs, but have advantages for developers of the more established applications too.

Figure 3: Light convergent reflective sensor

Figure 3: Light convergent reflective sensor

Light convergent reflective sensors (Figure 3) detect only objects that are a specific distance from the sensor. They can eliminate background and can detect both specular and diffuse reflecting objects reliably, regardless of their colour or material. They were originally developed for robot cleaning units, which needed to detect and reliably clean floors made of all kinds of materials in any colour.

Particular challenges for traditional optical sensors were detecting floors with glass or black areas. Traditional sensors also struggled to identify downward steps.

Using the new light convergent technology, robot cleaners can be reliably programmed to turn away from ‘cliffs’ and can accurately identify all kinds of floor coverings, implementing the most appropriate cleaning approach for each one.

The same technology is now also being widely applied in printers, allowing them to detect a much wider range of materials including black paper and clear film. Similarly, vending machines can now detect transparent cups, eliminating the need to fit a label to clear glass or plastic items to ensure that they are detected.

Checking the distance

Also new is the introduction of micro displacement sensors. These calculate the distance of the detected object, producing an output voltage proportional to the distance.

Typical devices can detect displacements with a resolution of 10 microns at a distance range of 6.5mm ±1.0mm. They are accurate enough, for example, to detect a double feed in a copier, count the notes in a cash dispenser and detect the amount of paper remaining on a till roll in a mini printer or point-of-sale system.

The first proximity switches were introduced in 1960, and LED type photo electric sensors in the early 1970s.

Although the core principle of pairing an LED light source with a detector remains the same, switches have increased considerably in sophistication and accuracy since then. Light-based proximity sensors continue to develop and it is inevitable that robotics and 3D visualisation will drive further improvements in this technology.

Gabriele Fulco is European product marketing manager for sensors at Omron Electronic Components

Richard Wilson

Full-size e-bike unveiled in Germany

Mando e-bike

Full-size Mando Footloose e-bike

A prototype e-bike with full-sized 26-inch wheels has been unveiled at EuroBike 2015 in Germany by Mando.

Maybe you ask what is an e-bike?

The electronic element comes from a control unit that monitors the bike’s acceleration and even pedal resistance.

There is a “smartphone-style”control module that mounts on the handle bars. From this the rider can get feedback on power and  speed and even health/fitness information.

It even tells the rider when they are cycling up or down hills.

Once the module is detached, the bike is rendered unusable.

The e-bike is powered by a 504Wh lithium-ion battery which the designer says gives it a travel distance of up to 56 miles on a single charge.

The bike’s body is constructed of carbon as well, and weighs 22 kilograms. It has a top speed of 25 Km/hour.

South Korean manufacturer Mando said the full-sized Footloose e-bike will be available in summer 2016.

Mando’s existing e-bikes include a smaller bike with 20-inch wheels and a folding model.

“With the successful launch of our smaller sized, portable models, we now see a big market opportunity for a full sized bike, particularly in Europe city locations,” said TS Lee, executive director at Mando.

 

 

Richard Wilson

Military builds on open standards and SDR

Military hardware has adopted the practices of the commercial market to enjoy the benefits of open standards, modular system architectures and software-defined radio, write Nigel Forrester and Paul Moakes

Military builds on open standards and SDR - CommAtility's conduction-cooled board

Military builds on open standards and SDR – CommAtility’s conduction-cooled board

In the embedded industry, there is over 30 years’ experience of using open standards based building blocks in defence applications. Suppliers accept that it takes a lot of trust for a defence equipment manufacturer to choose COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) components. Longevity of supply, high quality manufacture and testing, and the ability to support equipment in the field are critical attributes that suppliers must demonstrate.

Once trust is established, the benefits of modular building blocks based on open standards can be realised. For military deployment, while there still needs to be system-level qualification, each block that can be sourced off‑the‑shelf saves time to deployment, reducing development cost and risk.

Off-the-shelf with open standards

The ability to intercept, monitor and decode communications must keep pace with constantly evolving threats. While COTS technologies are not always available, they provide a valuable choice with shorter design cycles.

Armed forces need the most capable software defined radio/electronic warfare (SDR/EW) equipment. COTS parts make it easier to update standards-based equipment, provided the standards in question are widely supported. There has been a proliferation of open standards, as more industries and markets have become aware of the advantages. They can broadly be split into three categories:

  • those applicable for low cost, single processor systems
  • multiprocessor architectures driven by a small group of manufacturers
  • multiprocessor architectures driven by a wide group of suppliers and end users.

EW/SDR equipment needs multiple, connected processing elements, so naturally falls into the last category. Several open standards could be considered suitable, including CompactPCI Serial and Rugged MicroTCA from the PICMG standards body, plus VITA’s VME and VPX standards.

Embedded benefits

CompactPCI boards and AdvancedMC modules (used in MicroTCA systems) do not yet have sufficient momentum in the defence community and so are not seen as the best choice, despite having some technical merits.

Many VME boards have been deployed in military and aerospace, and this could still be a valid option for updating an existing system. However, the obvious choice for a new design is the VPX portfolio of standards.

VPX was originally introduced as VITA 46 and then augmented with the OpenVPX VITA 65 initiative. VITA 46 offers great flexibility in pinout choices, negating some of the advantages of COTS hardware by allowing vendors to create unique solutions.

VITA 65 was driven by customers’ need to standardise on defined profiles for interoperability, and has stimulated a wave of VPX deployments, where it is now the de-facto choice, allowing ‘best-in-class’ modules to be selected from alternate vendors.

Backplane mapping within a VPX solution is important. Although governed by a set of predetermined slot profiles in the specification, a choice of backplane architectures is available for implementation. The VITA 65 specification defines profiles in an exact way.

Electronic warfare

A configuration suitable for EW includes a single Intel control processor mated with several DSP/FPGA cards via a PCIe and Ethernet switch. An example for command and control is the TR B1x/msd board from Concurrent Technologies, which is based on a fourth generation Intel Core processor.

The board has two x4 PCIe data plane “fat pipe” connections, compliant with the VITA 65 MOD3-PAY-2F2U-16.2.3-3 profile. In the profile “2F2U” refers to having two fat pipes (four lanes) for data plane use plus a pair of ultra-thin (one lane) pipes for control use. The end digits identify the two fat pipes as PCIe Gen 2 compliant, and the two ultra-thin pipes as 1,000Base-BX control plane interfaces.

Figure 1: VPX-D16A4-PCIE block diagram showing rear I/O

Figure 1: VPX-D16A4-PCIE block diagram showing rear I/O

Four CommAgility VPX-D16A4-PCIE DSP/FPGA boards (Figure 1) are used for signal processing, and also have PCIe connectivity. The two DSPs on each board have their own x2 PCIe connections out to the backplane, and so the TR B1x/msd control board is configured with an x4 data plane bifurcated into two x2 pipes. This allows data to be sent between individual DSPs and the command and control board.

Smaller, lower cost VPX configurations can be created without the switch module, by using a backplane that has specific connectivity, for example with a single Intel‑based control processor having an x4 PCIe connection to two DSP/FPGA boards in the slots either side of the CPU.

Rugged kit

Many EW/SDR deployments must work in a conduction-cooled, rather than air-cooled environment, tolerate high levels of shock and vibration and have a coating to protect against factors like moisture and pollution.

The VPX-REDI specifications (VITA 48.0) assure ruggedisation in COTS-based military systems and focus on aspects that allow favourable size, weight, and power (SWaP) metrics.

Nigel Forrester is technical marketing manager at Concurrent Technologies and Paul Moakes is technical director at CommAgility

Richard Wilson

UK firm brings disposable fuel cells to smartphones

UK firm brings disposable fuel cells to smartphones

UK firm brings disposable fuel cells to smartphones

Intelligent Energy has started to make use of the portable fuel cell and disposable fuel cartridge assets it acquired from Société Bic of France earlier this year.

The Loughborough-based portable energy firm is reported to be working on a fuel cell which can keep a smartphone running for a week.

Intelligent Energy says the disposable fuel cartridge technology it has acquired for $15m from Société Bic will allow it to make a significant forward step towards the mass-market availability of embedded hydrogen fuel cell technology to power smartphones and wearable devices.

Dr Henri Winand, CEO, Intelligent Energy, writes:

“The acquisition is an important step in realising this vision, and accelerating our roadmap to bring our world class hydrogen fuel cell technology to portable electronic devices everywhere.”

BIC’s embedded fuel cell technology provides the company with the capability for volume production of embedded fuel cells.

Winand added:

“As people continue to embrace ubiquitous wireless technology, and as our data consumption increases, we are rapidly approaching a point where we need to remove our dependence on the plug socket and make it simple for people to stay connected everywhere.”

 

Richard Wilson

Toshiba cuts ARM microcontroller power with 65nm flash

Toshiba cuts ARM microcontroller power with 65nm flash

Toshiba cuts ARM microcontroller power with 65nm flash

Toshiba says it has dramatically reduced the power consumption of its ARM Cortex-based microcontrollers by integrating a newly developed embedded flash memory process based on a 65nm logic process.

Toshiba said it expects the devices to achieve power consumption of less than 100µA/MHz. This will represent a 60% reduction in power consumption compared to its current microcontrollers.

The first product group will be the TMPM3H, that will be based on ARM Cortex-M3 core. It will be a small package device with 32-100 pins and flash memory capacities of 32-128kbyte.

Sample shipments will start in the second quarter of 2016.

The company plans to follow this with MCUs based on the ARM Cortex-M4F core.

As part of its microcontroller plans Toshiba will embedded non-volatile memory (NVM) that adopts single-poly multi-time programmable cells on its 130nm logic process technology.

Sample shipments will start in the fourth quarter of 2015.

Richard Wilson

Qualcomm gives Snapdragon a boost with DSP

Qualcomm - DSP is used to brighten areas of both video and photos

Qualcomm – DSP is used to brighten areas of both video and photos

Qualcomm says it is more power efficient to run some operations in a mobile phone using a dedicated digital signal processor (DSP) rather than the CPU.

As a result it has added a larger DSP element to its Snapdragon 820 mobile processor.

DSP elements and CPUs with DSP extensions are traditionally used to provide more power efficient processing is specific applications such as video, imaging and audio.

But to date the use of DSP in mobile phones has been limited to specific functions such as the data modem. Texas Instruments integrated DSP elements into some of its OMAP mobile processors.

Qualcomm has now added a self-contained DSP element called Hexagon 680 for sensor processing in the phone.

The CPU also has access to DSP extensions for processing intensive operations such as imaging, with the firm’s new Spectra camera image signal processor in low-light environments.

The Snapdragon 820 will use DSP to adaptively brighten areas of both video and photos that would otherwise appear too dark.

Also according to Qualcomm, using the DSP element can double MP3 playback battery life.

 

 

 

Richard Wilson

Qualcomm gives Snapdragon a boost with DSP

Qualcomm - DSP is used to brighten areas of both video and photos

Qualcomm – DSP is used to brighten areas of both video and photos

Qualcomm says it is more power efficient to run some operations in a mobile phone using a dedicated digital signal processor (DSP) rather than the CPU.

As a result it has added a larger DSP element to its Snapdragon 820 mobile processor.

DSP elements and CPUs with DSP extensions are traditionally used to provide more power efficient processing is specific applications such as video, imaging and audio.

But to date the use of DSP in mobile phones has been limited to specific functions such as the data modem. Texas Instruments integrated DSP elements into some of its OMAP mobile processors.

Qualcomm has now added a self-contained DSP element called Hexagon 680 for sensor processing in the phone.

The CPU also has access to DSP extensions for processing intensive operations such as imaging, with the firm’s new Spectra camera image signal processor in low-light environments.

The Snapdragon 820 will use DSP to adaptively brighten areas of both video and photos that would otherwise appear too dark.

Also according to Qualcomm, using the DSP element can double MP3 playback battery life.

 

 

 

Richard Wilson

5G will not just be 4G with faster download speeds

26aug15RTafazolli

Professor Rahim Tafazolli

Professor Rahim Tafazolli, director of the 5G Innovation Centre (5GIC), tells Electronics Weekly in an exclusive interview that it is now apparent that 5G will be a step-change in mobile technology.

“What was done in the last 30 years ending in 4G technologies was justifiable,” says Tafazolli. “But to carry on for the next 30 years in the same way is not justifiable.”

“I don’t think of it as 5th generation mobile, but the first generation of something new that combines wideband and narrow band data communications, short range and long range links all on the one network. I call it ‘connectivity’,” says Tafazolli, who heads up the 5GIC at the University of Surrey.

The 5GIC is the UK’s main research activity into the technologies needed for a roll-out of 5G mobile services in 2020.

“This will be the beginning, but work will carry on, it will evolve to 2025 and beyond,” says Tafazolli.

Whereas 4G is still essentially about connecting mobile phones and tablets more effectively. 5G will not only be concerned with mobile, but connecting to buildings, cars and even robots.

“The car industry will have a big say in the creation of 5G, this did not happen before,“ says Tafazolli.
5G mobile communications and the internet of things (IoT) are closely related in terms of technologies used and the introduction of services, says Tafazolli.

“IoT and 5G should not be put in separate silos, ideas on this are converging,” says Tafazolli.

At the moment research into 5G mobile communications technology is taking place at various centres all over the world – Europe, US, China and Japan.

But first discussions on potential global standards will start in the 3GPP standards body in September.

“Global 5G research is still taking place in isolation, but this will change. Various groups have different technology favourites, and the 3GPP standardisation discussions will start in September. I expect technology selection will start in 2016,” said Tafazolli.

And the different research groups are all competing for the prize of commercial adoption. “It is a business, and we need a return on our investment,” says Tafazolli.

The Surrey-based 5GIC already has 12 patents relating to potential 5G radio and network architecture technologies.

“We will test these on our own test-bed and we would like these technologies to be part of the standard,” says Tafazolli.

Tafazolli expects to have the technology in Surrey to demonstrate 5G transmission from mobile to network and back to mobile by 2018.

According to Tafazolli, this is creating new challenges for the mobile industry.

“Creating a technology which combines narrowband data connections used for IoT with wideband data is a huge challenge. The resulting standards will not be straight-forward,” says Tafazolli.

In the past the standards have focused on cellular communications. With 5G this will all change; it will incorporate Wi-Fi and unlicensed bands, says Tafazolli.

“Spectrum licensing will need to change, IPR (intellectual property rights) policy will need to change,” says Tafazolli.

Professor Tafazolli and his team at the 5GIC represents the UK’s attempt to be a main player in the creation of 5G technology. It has set-up its own standards activity which is chaired by a representative from operator Telefonica

“We have already contributed to the IEEE standards group and we plan to contribute to 3GPP when it starts work in September,” says Tafazolli.

The creation of the first 5G test network at the University of Surrey is the next big step. “The test -bed will allow UK companies to test technology,” says Tafazolli.

“The hope is to get the UK’s 5G ecosystem – business and technical – on the same level as the rest of the world. The mechanism is now in place and we are talking to UK firms to join and become a part of this,” says Tafazolli.

 

Richard Wilson