Dual IGBT driver has a small footprint

power integrations 2SC0435TPower Integrations has a dual IGBT-driver core that has a footprint of 57.2×51.6mm and a height of 20mm.

Designed to drive standard 1,200V and 1,700V IGBTs, the 2SC0435T2G1-17 combines a complete two-channel driver core with all components required for the IGBT driver circuit.

Components include a galvanic isolated DC-DC converter, short-circuit protection, advanced active clamping or soft shut down and under-voltage lock out on both the primary and secondary sides.

Each of the two output channels is electrically isolated from the primary side and the secondary channel.

An output current of ±35A peak and 4W drive power at 85 deg C is available per channel and the turn-on voltage is regulated to maintain a stable +15 V regardless of the output power level.

 

 

Richard Wilson

Fastest 8051 yet

fastest 8051The most efficient 8051 microcontroller core ever, is the claim of Polish intellectual property firm Digital Core Designs (DCD).

Called DQ8051, the quad pipeline core benchmarks at 0.27292 DMips/MHz (Dhrystone 2.1) “29.01 times speed-up over the original 80C51 chip operating at the same frequency,” said the firm. “But the speed is not all. Dynamic power consumption can be as low as 1.2µW/MHz.”

In fast form, the processor core has 7,500 gates. Up to 27.297 VAX Mips are available at 100MHz.

Fully synthesizable, it is static synchronous with no internal tri-states and Technology independent – so it can be used in asics or FPGAs

Speeds range from 70MHz on a 0.35µm process up to 430MHz on 90nm – using around 10,000 gates in each case. 88% of opcodes are single instruction, average instruction 1.36cycle.

Available interfaces include: USB, Ethernet, I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, LIN, HDLC, Smart Card interfaces.

There is also a hardware debugger with a smart trace which doesn’t capture addresses of all executed instructions, only these related to the start of tracing, conditional jumps and interrupts. Captured instructions are read back by debug software, analysed and then presented to the user as ASM code and related C lines.

DQ8051 is delivered with automated test-bench and complete set of tests, allowing package validation at each stage of SoC design flow.

In the diagram above:

  • SXDM is synchronous external data memory (SXDM) interface for off-core on-die data memory to store large variables, frequently accessed by CPU, improving overall performance of application.
  • DPTR are data pointers for faster memory blocks copying
  • MDU32… hmm… we are guessing 32bit multiply divide unit

Memory:

  • up to 256bytes of internal (on-chip) data memory
  • up to 64kbyte of program memory
  • up to 16Mbyte of external (off-chip) data memory – XDM
  • up to 64kbyte of (on-chip) fast synchronous external data memory – SXDM
  • user programmable program memory wait states – for different memories.
  • user programmable external data memory wait states solution- for different memories.
  • de-multiplexed address/data bus

steve bush

Linux in hi-rel is growing, says McPherson

Amanda McPherson, chief marketing officer at the Linux Foundation.

Amanda McPherson, chief marketing officer at the Linux Foundation.

Xilinx has joined the Linux Foundation, the industry organisation supporting growth of Linux and collaborative development.

The FPGA firm’s interest indicates how Linux is expanding its footprint beyond consumer and computing markets and into high reliability industrial, automotive and aerospace systems.

The theme of this year’s Embedded Linux Conference, which is sponsored by The Linux Foundation, was ‘Drones, Things and Automotive.’

“The use of Linux in embedded products has skyrocketed in recent years, with Linux now being used in avionics, industrial systems, automotive and consumer electronic devices of all kinds,” said Amanda McPherson, chief marketing officer at the Linux Foundation.

FPGA supplier Xilinx has in the last few years moved into the the ARM-based system-on-chip market with its Zynq All Programmable SoC devices, which are already running embedded Linux in automotive and industrial applications. 

“Linux is a key embedded OS for our customers and aligns well with our Zynq-7000 All Programmable SoC and Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC product application areas spanning wired and wireless networking, data center, automotive, and industrial,” said Zach Pfeffer, director of embedded software development at Xilinx.

Two other companies joined the Linux foundation at last week’s Embedded Linux Conference in San Jose, California, they were Cirrus Logic and data analytics firm Treasure Data.

Kazuki Ohta, CTO and co-founder at Treasure Data said:

“Treasure Data relies on open source to help us innovate, solve complex data collection problems and minimise the risk of data loss. Many of our engineers have started or made significant contributions to open source projects, and we see the strategic value of open source software and communities to help us build better software services faster.”

 

Richard Wilson

TI aims to kick-start GaN revolution

TI LMG5200 insideTexas Instruments has combined two GaN FETs and a matched driver chip in an 80V 10A half-bridge within a single 8x6mm package.

Called LMG5200, the intention is to get GaN into the hands of the engineering community so designers can evaluate its super-fast switching capabilities in power stages, without getting bogged down in the subtleties of GaN gate driving like parasitic gate inductance in the gate drive loop.

According to the firm: “TI is enabling the ecosystem, magnetics for example, to develop by putting GaN in the customers hands.”

“TI LMG5200 schematicIt is amazing what GaN can do if you drive it in a way to get the best performance,” said director of power David Priscak. “With this, you can guarantee performance because we have controlled everything.”

Priscak said PSU designers should be thinking outside the silicon box for topologies and control schemes, proposing all digital control. “GaN is not a silicon mosfet replacement, analogue controllers cannot take advantage of GaN.”

The module has independent TTL control inputs, 25ns propagation delay, 5.2V bootstrap clamp, and 3.8V under-voltage lock-out – the last two optimised for the GaN FETs, which Are GaN-on-Si from California-based Efficient Power Conversion (EPC).

TI LMG5200 EVM

LMG5200 EVM

It comes in a QFN package which requires no underfill. Prototype samples of the GaN power stage are available to purchase now in the TI Store.

Amongst a host of design material, including PSpice and TINA-TI models, there is a 48V buck converter evaluation board (LMG5200 EVM) which will switch at up to 5MHz, although 1MHz is recommended for thermal reasons – spec is 24-60V in, 5-10A out, thermally limited at 5A. Rise-time in the plot is under 1ns from 5.4 to 44V.

TI LMG5200 plot

A 48V buck converter evaluation board (LMG5200 EVM). Rise-time in the plot is under 1ns from 5.4 to 44V.

There is also a 92% efficient 48 to 1.8V (40A) point-of-load converter reference design with the GaN module on the primary side and 25V 1mΩ silicon mosfets on the secondary. Footprint is 30.5x48mm.

Magnetic gultch

According to Priscak, there is a magnetic gulch where PSU designers need to get their thinking caps on. “Above 2MHz the frequency rises but cores stay the same size, and you have to get beyond 8MHz before they start shrinking.”

steve bush

University wants app for safe drone flying

DroneDrone enthusiasts are being urged to help design an app for drone flyers which helps to keep them informed of locations where it is legal and safe-to-fly drones.

The idea is being hosted on AppMovement.com, a website created by Newcastle University where designers can propose and develop mobile applications. 

The creators are looking to crowdsource input, with the design stage set to start next month.

An increasing number of consumer multi-rotor aircraft, UAVs or drones are being bought and flown around the world. However, there is some confusion over how and where you can legally fly drones, with both manufacturers and airspace regulators keen to educate people on this issue.

Users need to be aware of any prohibitions or local laws; in the UK, for example, you can’t fly over or within 150 metres of congested areas or within 50 metres of people, vehicles or structures of buildings not under your control with a camera drone.

The intention is that the app will allow flyers to share appropriate and legal sites they have found for flying, wherever they are in the world.

This will enable drone users to find easily accessible public right of ways for taking off from, beautiful scenery in open airspace and large, unobstructed areas perfect for flying.

No previous experience is required in app design.

“The drone app will help hobbyists around the world find safe and legal places to fly, by bringing together the different experiences of drone users,” said Simon Newton, the designer behind the idea.

“We’ve had great support for the idea so far and the development will be starting soon. However in order to make this free app a success, we need a good user base with plenty of people interacting with the app.”

To take part in the done app’s design phase.

 

Richard Wilson

Motor control gets accurate angle position sensing

Figure 1

Figure 1

Angle position sensing is the measuring of the degree of rotation of an object about a central axis.

As with any sensor type, the aim is to represent a physical or mechanical characteristic in a format, usually electrical, that can be understood, interpreted and which can be used as an input to a microcontroller circuit.

In some cases, a physical characteristic is mechanically converted to a second physical characteristic and then measured.

For example, a rack and pinion scheme could be utilised as a means of measuring linear travel with an angular position sensor, by first converting the linear motion into a rotational movement.

Angle position sensors are available in many forms and utilise various technologies but generally speaking these sensors are highly versatile and can designed into many industrial and high reliability applications.

We are seeing a large growth in angle position sensor usage in automotive, off-road vehicles, agricultural and commercial equipment, and industrial automation.

Typically these are applications which require a product that is suited for operation in harsh environments where dust, dirt, extreme temperatures and moisture are factors.

In addition to an International Protection (IP) rating, angle position sensor products typically are offered in contact, or non-contact configurations.

For applications that exist in harsher, rugged conditions non-contact sensors are extremely applicable due to vibration and abrupt movement not affecting performance. There is also the added benefit of a very long lifespan of non-contact sensors.

These benefits make angle position sensors an increasingly important design option for several industrial applications requiring longevity and of course durability. Of course, these types of sensors can serve as a great alternative to potentiometers.

Other similar devices, such as rotary encoders essentially do the same thing.

Hall effect-based rotary encoders and Hall effect angle position sensors essentially perform the same function using a magnetic field, as defined by the Hall effect. Traditional absolute rotary encoders however, differ from Hall effect angle position sensors. Yes, they detect rotation, position and angle, but they do so by using an LED transmitter, slotted disc and a photo sensor.

The encoder is able to convert rotational motion into electrical signals by shining light through each column of slots on the disc; the photo sensor then reads the level of light or dark areas and then translates this into an electrical data stream which can be input to the microcontroller system for analysis and storage.

Figure 2

Figure 2

Essentially, the main difference being the sensing circuit makes use of magnetic readings instead of measurement levels of light and darkness. It is important to note that traditional encoder accuracy is largely dependent on resolution, which is determined by the number of columns and rows of slots. The higher the resolution, the more precise the detection of movement is.

General Application Examples:

  • Forklift Position Sensing: Measures the angle of the forks on a forklift truck.
  • Trailer Hitch Position Sensing: used in both commercial and agricultural equipment. The tilt or angle of a trailer hitch is detected to help hook up to trailers and various attachments.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the US has reported that the three primary causes for tip-over accidents on forklifts are excessive speed when the machine is turning, raised unbalanced load and collision with an overloaded object.

With such a large group of forklift manufacturers having a need to account for these issues several sensor components have been utilised to help manage these risks. Gear tooth sensors have been integrated to count the rotation on a gear or wheel to limit and monitor speed.

Magnetic proximity sensors have also been designed into forklifts to sense whether a seat belt is fastened or a door is shut, ensuring a driver is properly secured while operating. Hall or reed proximity sensors can also detect hydraulic fluid levels.

Angle position sensors have also found their way into forklift applications, detecting the angle and position of the forks.

This particular application can prevent unbalanced loads, or limit operation of the machine when a load is improperly balanced or positioned.

The same technology is also utilised in the wheels controlled by the steering function. Having an accurate position reading on the steering wheels can prevent the machine from being accelerated while wheels are turned too far to the right or left, causing unexpected manoeuvers and unsafe operating conditions.

Like all components, sensors continue to evolve and become more advanced in terms of capabilities, performance, form factor and overall integration into several applications. We expect to see their usage and popularity with application designers to increase and angle positions sensors are just one example of the trend.

When you consider the level of performance, along with excellent tolerance for harsh conditions and extremely long lifespan, it is no surprise that these products are gaining attention, particularly with compact designs that make them easier and less restricting to design into products. Look for angle position sensing to expand even further in the near future.

Ryan Eder is marketing manager at Cherry Industrial Solutions

 

 

Richard Wilson

Fast comparator drives logic down to 1.8V

32035Linear Technology has introduced a comparator with fast rise and fall times of 1.2ns and a toggle frequency of 280MHz.

Designed for driving logic levels from 3.3V down to 1.8V, the LTC6752 has a specified 2.9ns propagation delay and overdrive dispersion of 1.8ns.

Jitter is 4.5ps for a 100mVpp, 100MHz sinusoidal input, and the outputs swing to within 200mV of the rails with up to 8mA of load current.

Five package options offer features, such as separate input and output supplies, low power shutdown, output latch, adjustable hysteresis and complementary outputs.

The inputs for the LTC6752 extend beyond both rails, particularly useful for single supply operation. All members of the LTC6752 family are capable of driving 3.3V and 2.5V logic.

The LTC6752-2, LTC6752-3 and LTC6752-4 have separate input and output supplies, decoupling the input and output voltage levels and enabling them to drive 1.8V logic.

The LTC6752 family is offered in the TSOT23, SC70, MSOP8 and a 12-lead 3mm x 3mm QFN package.

 

Richard Wilson

NFC tag will provide product marketing information

OpenSense-Thinfilm-printed-electronicsPrinted electronics firm Thin Film Electronics has developed a near field communication (NFC) sensor for tagging bottles which can detect when a product is “sealed” and “open”.

Likely to be used for tagging wine and spirits, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and automotive fluids, the tag is designed to provide NFC-readability before and after a factory seal on the product has been broken. 

According to the Norway-based company, it is possible to provide content to mobile devices on “sealed” or “opened” status, as the consumer’s context shifts from “pre-purchase” to “in use.”

For example, a sealed product could trigger multimedia content to encourage a consumer purchase, while opened products could deliver messaging with usage tips and recommendations of complementary products.

Thin Film Electronics said it can produce the NFC tags at lower cost than traditional radio-frequency identification (RFID) devices.

Thin Film Electronics has teamed with UK-based partner, Evrythng to provide supply-chain analytics.

“We believe it will deliver tremendous benefits across a range of markets and industries,” said Davor Sutija, Thinfilm’s chief executive officer.

 

 

Richard Wilson

GaN technology gives 650W power transistor

01apr15macomM/A-COM Technology has developed a 650W gallium nitride (GaN) on silicon carbide (SiC) HEMT pulsed power transistor for L-band pulsed avionics applications.

The transistor is available in standard flange or earless flange packaging.

Designated the MAGX-000912-650L00/MAGX-000912-650L0S, it is a gold metalised, internally matched, GaN-on-SiC depletion mode RF power transistor.

Operating in the 960 to 1215MHz frequency range, the MAGX-000912-650L0x is a rugged and robust transistor, boasting a mean time to failure (MTTF) of 600 years.

The device features 650W of peak output power with 20dB typical gain and 62% drain efficiency.

The transistor is optimised for civilian and military pulsed avionics amplifier applications in the 960 to 1215 MHz range, for Mode-S, TCAS, JTIDS, DME and TACAN operation.

 

 

Richard Wilson