Apple app developer taps into Microchip “supermarket”

Coderus Embedded software developer Coderus is raising its profile in the wireless IoT market by signing up to the Microchip Design Partner Program as an app developer specialist.

Suffolk-based Coderus sees Microchip as “a supermarket for core modules with which brands can build their products” and this will fit well with its custom software.

The software developer has worked with Microchip in a partnership agreement with Bowers & Wilkins, and has this has given it a software design capability to support the firm’s microcontrollers.

Coderus has developed a customisation toolkit for the Microchip range of microcontrollers.

Mark Thomas, managing director of Coderus, writes:

“We’ve designed the toolkit to give us a menu of choices so we can deliver a complete package that includes both embedded and mobile solutions, or we can choose one or several elements to work separately or to combine together.”

The firm also carries out functional and automated testing of the software apps before a product reaches the market.

Coderus has offices at Adastral Park, Ipswich and St John’s Innovation Centre, Cambridge. Company managing director Mark Thomas has attended Apple WWDC for the last 15 years and presently hold four patents from his work at BT Plc and is a co-Author on a published paper at Siemens.

In May, Coderus hosted a Google I/O extended event with keynote speeches streamed live from San Francisco to BT’s John Bray Lecture Theatre at Adastral Park.

Over 130 developers attended the event with live Google technology demo sessions.

 

 

Richard Wilson

Plessey expands wearable LED line

Plessey has expanded its dotLED range, designed for wearable LED tech

Plessey has expanded its dotLED range, designed for wearable LED tech

Plessey has expanded its dotLED range, designed for wearable LED tech, by adding a wider selection of colours, including red, green and blue.

“Our dotLED product range addresses the optical, mechanical and cost requirements for the typical wearable applications. These include wristbands trackers for health and fitness as well as many other applications for dot matrix displays, says Plessey’s VP of Sales, Giuliano Cassataro.

The white dotLED is available in a 1005 SMT package (1.0 x 0.5mm).

Delivering up to 1.0 lm of white light with a 130 degree viewing angle from a 5mA drive current, the PLW13D003 meets the demand for ever smaller displays. A blue version, the PLB13D003 is also available in a variety of wavelengths from 460nm to 480nm.

Inside the packaging, the die are 0.2 x 0.2mm.

david manners

TFT displays supplier offers Arduino shield for free

TFT displays supplier offers Arduino shield for free

TFT displays supplier offers Arduino shield for free

An Epson LCD controller shield board brings support for WQVGA and QVGA TFT displays to the Arduino Due development platform.

Independent distributor Ineltek UK is offering the Arduino shield free when you buy one of its selected TFT displays.

The S5U13781R01C100 TFT shield is based on the Epson S1D13781 controller IC with embedded 384kbyte display buffer which supports 8/16-bit direct and indirect CPU interfaces as well as SPI.

Resolutions supported range up to 480 x 272 at 24 bits per pixel and the device boasts hardware rotation of the display memory, Alpha Blending and Transparency and PIP Layer Flashing resulting in rich images even when used with low end processors.

The Arduino Due board is available online from Ineltek for around €35 and the TFT Shield Board is available for €15 or free when purchasing one of the supported displays.

Independent semiconductor distributor is offering the shield alongside a range of TFTs:

  • Tianma TM043NDH02 – WQVGA 4.3” 300 cdm-2 2.9mm thick module
  • Tianma TM043NBH02 – WQVGA 4.3” 280 cdm-2 4.15mm thick module
  • ImaginOrient IO04310006_v2 – WQVGA 4.3” 430 cdm-2
  • Hantronix HDA430-3GH-1 – WQVGA 4.3” 1000 cdm-2
  • Hantronix HDA351-LV –  QVGA 3.5”
  • Tianma TM035KDH03 – QVGA 3.5” 300 cdm-2

 

 

 

 

Richard Wilson

Imec, Besi pave way to manufacturable 3D hybrid technology

Imec, Besi pave way to manufacturable 3D hybrid technology

Imec, Besi pave way to manufacturable 3D hybrid technology

Imec and Besi have developed an automated thermocompression solution for narrow-pitch die-to-wafer bonding, a method by which singulated dies are stacked onto bottom dies which are still part of a fully intact 300mm wafer. The technology paves the way to a manufacturable 2.5D, 3D, and 2.5D/3D hybrid technology.

3D IC technology, stacking multiple dies into a single device, aims to increase the functionality and performance of next-generation integrated circuits while reducing footprint and power consumption.

It is a key technology to enable the next generation of portable electronics, such as smartphones and tablets, which require smaller ICs that consume less power.

One of the challenges to making 3D IC manufacturing an industrial reality is the development of a high-throughput automated process flow for narrow-pitch, high-accuracy die-to-die and die-to-wafer bonding.

Thermocompression bonding (TCB) is a widespread process used by the industry for highly accurate die-to-package bonding. The method released the stress in the laminate layer and avoided stress to build up between the two stacked layers. Yet, more traditional approaches to thermocompression bonding come with long cycle times (>1 minute per die), meaning significant improvements in throughput are required to enable this stacking approach on a 300mm wafer.

Read more Imec stories on Electronics Weekly »

 

david manners

Southampton University holds electronics summer school

Southampton University holds electronics summer school

Southampton University holds electronics summer school

74 A-Level students from across the UK and beyond are taking part in the University of Southampton’s Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) annual summer school next week, with students coming from Dublin, Romania and Greece as well as the local area.

The summer school includes lectures covering varied aspects of ECS, from electronic and electrical engineering to computer science and software engineering.

Participants will be given the opportunity to tour the University of Southampton’s specialist facilities, such as the Tony Davies High Voltage Laboratory and the Southampton Nanofabrication Centre.

Sponsored by Imagination Technologies and JP Morgan, the summer school’s links with industry are intended to give participants an understanding of career options for graduates.

The course includes a day trip to sponsors so students can see how specialised electronics and computer science skills are applied and valued in business and industry.

Dr Geoff Merrett, Senior Admissions Tutor for ECS, says:

“We hope that by taking part in the summer school we have engaged the students in the subjects, inspired them to apply for a university place and opened their eyes to the exciting breadth of careers a degree in ECS can lead to”.

This year’s residential course, organised by Dr Geoff Merrett and Dr Reena Pau, is continuing the success of last year, with a series of talks from leading Southampton academics.

 

 

Richard Wilson

AMD SoC brings 4K graphics to Mini-ITX board

05aug15congatecCongatec has added low-power boards based on the Gen 2 AMD Embedded G-Series processor to its industrial-grade Mini-ITX motherboard range.

The SoC integrates an AMD Radeon graphics processor which means the board will support two independent displays and up to 4K (3840 x 2160 pixels) resolution.

These scalable motherboards offer TDP ranging between 5 and 15W max. 

The processor options include a 2.2GHz dual-core variant (10/15 W max. configurable TDP) or a 4x 1.2GHz quad-core platform (5/7 W max. configurable TDP) that is optimised for multiprocessing.

The 4K graphics support includes DirectX11.1 and OpenGL 4.2, and the two displays can be controlled via DisplayPort 1.2, DVI or LVDS.

Board expansion options include a PCIe x4 Gen 2.0 slot, 1x Mini PCIe, 2x USB 3.0, and 6x USB 2.0.

 

Richard Wilson

CUI power supply has 54V output for PoE

CUI power supply has 54V output for PoE

CUI power supply has 54V output for PoE

The latest 3000W front-end ac-dc CUI power supply is intended for power over Ethernet (PoE) applications.

The power supply is preset to output 54Vdc with a factory-adjustable output from 42V to 55V.

There is N+1 redundancy and hot swap blind-docking capability implemented through the use of a single connector that integrates ac, dc and I/O signals.

The PSE-3000-54 has a specified power density of 33.48W/cubic inch and is 94% efficient at 50% load.

It is a 1U unit measuring 40.64 x 101.6 x 355.6mm.

The main 54Vdc output delivers up to 55.5A with droop current sharing for paralleling of multiple units.

The output is floating and features isolation of 1500Vrms specifically for PoE applications.

For monitoring and control of the module, the PSE-3000-54 features system communications via I2C/PMBus protocol.

 

Richard Wilson

Big gains for Cypress after Spansion merger

Big gains for Cypress after Spansion merger

Big gains for Cypress after Spansion merger

Following its Spansion merger, Cypress has reported $491 million Q2 revenue for a net profit of $53 million.

Programmable Systems’ sales $202.8 million were 172% up y-o-y.

Memory Products’ sales were $261.4 million up 205% y-o-y.

Emerging Technologies’ sales were $7.7 million up 44% y-o-y.

Data Communications’ sales were $19.1 million up 6% y- o-y.

Revenues were derived from: Japan 34%, Europe 14%, and the Americas 11%.

“Our sales force is actively cross-selling products from our expanded product portfolio,” says CEO T.J. Rodgers “as a result, we have begun to see an increase in new opportunities at top-tier customers, particularly in the automotive market.”

Since the merger, Cypress has exited 19 of the 27 sites planned for closure, reduced its headcount by 833 people, and saved an annual $51.6 million. It expects $160 million in annual savings over the long term.

The company writes:

We are pleased to announce strong financial results for the second quarter of 2015, our first full quarter as a combined company. Our non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.15 represents a record relative to the last 10 quarters of the Cypress and Spansion pro forma combination. …

We have continued to make excellent progress on integration.  We have exited 19 of the 27 sites planned for closure, reduced our combined headcount by 833 people and achieved $51.6 million in annualized synergies in the second quarter—ahead of our plan to achieve $160 million in synergies.

 

david manners

Cardiff gets new multi-million pound semiconductor centre

IQE_SiMachine1The UK is bidding to be a world-leading centre for research and production of compound semiconductors which are used in optoelectronics and power systems.

IQE, the semiconductor wafer foundry, is creating a joint venture with Cardiff University for the development and commercialisation of compound semiconductor technologies.

The JV will work closely with Cardiff University’s Institute of Compound Semiconductors (ICS), which in itself establishes world class CS research, development and innovation in Wales, with over £29m of funding from the Welsh and UK governments.

The ICS forms part of Cardiff University’s £300m investment in new research and innovation centres.

The venture is expected to attract other European partners to create a compound semiconductor cluster centred in Wales.

Dr Drew Nelson, chief executive of IQE, said:

“This JV with Cardiff University is a key step in creating the World’s first Compound Semiconductor Cluster, spanning basic research to full scale production. Our goal is to build this Cluster into one of Global significance and scale, leading to widespread economic benefits for the region.”

Compound Semiconductors have been identified in the European Commission’s “Horizon 2020” economic growth strategy, as a key technology enabler which is important for the re industrialisation of the EU.

The combination of the ICS with IQE’s existing wafer foundry in Cardiff establishes the core elements of a compound semiconductor ecosystem in Wales to bridge early stage research, product development, prototyping, and pilot production, through to high volume manufacturing.

Cardiff University recently announced the appointment of Professor Huffaker, a leading researcher from UCLA.

As part of the venture, IQE will contribute equipment with a market value of £12m, which will be matched by a £12m cash contribution from Cardiff University.

IQE will also license certain intellectual property (IP) to the JV.

Cardiff University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Colin Riordan, said:

“Coupling IQE’s infrastructure with Cardiff’s existing strengths in expanding areas of semiconductor devices and materials will create cutting-edge opportunities that will put us ahead of our competitors.”

Minister for Economy and Science, Edwina Hart said:

“Together with the appointment through our Sêr Cymru programme of Professor Diana Huffaker, a world renowned expert in the field, Cardiff is now well placed to become a hub for Compound Semiconductor research and exploitation.”

Richard Wilson

Crystek VCO operates from 3420-3430MHz

Crystek's CVCO55CC-3400-3400

Crystek’s CVCO55CC-3400-3400

Crystek’s CVCO55CC-3420-3430 VCO operates from 3420 MHz to 3430 MHz with a control voltage range of 0.5 V~4.5 V.

This VCO features a typical phase noise of -110 dBc/Hz @ 10KHz offset and has excellent linearity.

Output power is typically +2.0 dBm.

The model CVCO55CC-3420-3430 is packaged in the industry-standard 0.5-in. x 0.5-in. SMD package.

david manners