esd april 2014 - electronic specifier

February 2015 | Volume 5, Issue 2

designwww.electronicspecifier.com

Big Questions for Smart Meters

EnergyBuildings that generatetheir own power usingintegrated PV materials

Auxiliary SolutionsThe latest in configurablelogic that could solvethose little ‘design errors’

Embedded WorldA sneak peak at what’sin store at this year’sindustry-leading event

Your chance to win a 3DTouch-Pad developmentkit

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electronicspecifier.com 3

Contents

06 NewsThe latest developments, including a new ultra-low power MCU

08 Market & Trends Complexity threatens IoT growth

10 Embedded World 2015 PreviewOur sneak peak at what’s in store this year

16 The cost of being smartThere’s fragmentation in the smart meter market

22 Wireless charging charges aheadCan a recent merger help clear the muddy waters?

24 Smart grids need to be StreetwiseThe lessons that need to be learnt.

28 Building-in Power GenerationCould BIPVs be the future of commercial power?

31 Match MakingThe benefits of integrating discrete components in to a single chip

32 The Logical OptionHow configurable logic could solve a host of design errors

34 Auxiliary SolutionsA round-up of some of the latest essential components

16

32

design

34


Editor’s Comment

What will your Thing be?We’re days away from Embedded World 2015, arguably

(and defensibly) the biggest event in the embedded

electronics industry. And this year it is expected to be even

bigger, with more exhibition space taken and a larger

number of visitors anticipated.

Unsurprisingly, the theme for this year’s event revolves

around the IoT; not for the first time. OK, it’s becoming a bit

of a recurring theme but that’s only because the

expectations for the IoT have now spread far beyond the

embedded domain. So what’s your ‘Thing’ going to be?

The realism is that, for many years, embedded devices

have been ‘connected’, albeit in a modest and

understated way, so what’s really going to change? The

answer is, in my opinion, the potential for connected

devices to work together more coherently, bringing the

level of control to an entirely new user-base. Of course, Big

Data is a part of it, the amount of (potentially valuable) data

that the IoT will generate shouldn’t be underestimated as it

will undoubtedly generate a great deal of the revenue that

will be needed to keep the IoT evolving. But what we, as

developers, will get for ‘free’ will be the ability to introduce

entirely new opportunities for devices that work in a way

never before practical or financially feasible.

It’s not without precedence; the Internet supports a host of

so-called ‘Over The Top’ services that, effectively, nobody

pays for — they exist purely because the infrastructure

enables them. The same will be true for the IoT, so now

really is the time to get our thinking caps on and let our

imaginations run wild.

design

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News

6 electronicspecifier.com

A technique known as sub-threshold

switching has been harnessed by

Ambiq Micro to develop a family of

ARM Cortex-M4F based MCUs that

operate at dramatically lower power

levels than its competition, the

company claims.

The patented technology, which Ambiq

calls SPOT (Sub-threshold Power

Optimised Technology) exploits the

relationship between voltage and

current, and keeps transistors

operating in their sub-threshold region.

This results in lower power dissipation

across the platform, which equates to

active power levels of 30μA/MHz when

executing from Flash, and average

sleep currents of 100nA. The devices

run at up to 24MHz and are targeted at

emerging ‘IoT’ applications, which are

likely to be battery-powered, possible

wearable and invariably connected to

one or more sensors.

The company admits that SPOT

probably wouldn’t be possible to

implement in MCUs running in the GHz

range, but insisted that speeds of

around 24MHz are perfect for the

‘sweet spot’ of applications being

targeted. Although the company’s

differentiating factor is the ‘dynamic

adaptive’ technology it has developed

to enable sub-threshold operation, it is

still able to implement more

conventional low-power techniques

such as voltage/frequency scaling,

power-gating and autonomous

peripherals. Uniquely, the technology

makes effective use of leakage currents

that other manufacturers try to

minimise, in order to enable SPOT.

Although not officially announced, the

company claims that it would be ‘no

problem’ to extend the product offering

to include ARM’s latest Cortex-M7 core

in the future.

design

Micro-power from new MCU

A cloud-based self-learning algorithm is

at the heart of a new Senior Lifestyle

System developed and launched by

GreenPeak, using a network of ZigBee-

based sensor nodes distributed

throughout a home. The sensors relay

back to a gateway which in turn

connects to the algorithm that features

advanced behaviour patter recognition.

It uses the algorithm to ‘learn’ the

normal daily activities of the people

being monitored, and raises an alarm

when it detects abnormal behaviour.

The solution doesn’t require people to

wear devices, or use cameras, and so

remains unobtrusive, says GreenPeak.

An environmental sensor combining

pressure, humidity, temperature and

indoor air quality, based on MEMS

technology, and measuring just 3.0mm

on each side, has been added to the

Bosch Sensortec family. It can detect a

broad range of gases, including Volatile

Organic Compounds (VOC) from paints,

cleaning supplier and even office

equipment.

Bosch Sensortec has positioned the

sensor for the IoT, targeting personalised

weather stations, indoor navigation, fitness

monitoring, home automation and more.

The combination of four sensors is

intended to provide the kind of ‘real world’

data needed by IoT applications and uses

internal calibration and compensation,

allowing it to detect VOCs in the ppm

range.

The sensor is equipped with both SPI and

I2C interfaces, as well as three power

modes, and proven configuration settings

are available for specific applications, such

as weather logging or indoor navigation.

A quality sensor Cloud-based carer


News


design

A library intended to be embedded

within any Linux code, and

supported by a dedicated database,

has been developed which aims to

make debugging complex software

much simpler, particularly when

reacting to field-based failures.

The solution, called Live Recorder,

has been developed by Undo

Software and, when implemented,

can make a detailed recording of the

runtime code’s activity — sort of like

a black box for software — which

can be sent back to the manufacture

in the event of a failure. The

developers say it means the need to

reproduce failures in a lab, or attend

customer sites, should be minimised

or even obviated.

An Undo Recording provides an

exact copy of the the original

program’s execution history, which

can be played or fast-forwarded to

find bugs. It can also be used in-

house as part of the development

cycle, to reveal bugs quicker, says

the developer.

The fourth generation of its iCE family,

and the third to be fabricated in a 40nm

process, claims to be the industry’s

smallest and lowest power. Targeting

always-on applications in smart devices,

it aims to provide OEMs with a way to

integrate background functions without

employing power-hungry Application

Processors, and thereby extending the

battery lifetime of portable and, in the

future, wearable devices.

The iCE40 UltraLite offers a maximum

of 1248 LUTs and as such is intended

to implement just one function at a time,

but it also integrates its own

configuration memory and the ability to

be reconfigured ‘on the fly’, so can

theoretically be used for a range of

functions. Lattice claims it is 60%

smaller than its nearest competitor, and

55% smaller than the iCE40 Ultra, at

least in its WLCSP option; at just

1.4mm on each side. However, that

option comes with a 0.35mm BGA

pitch, which requires advanced

manufacturing/assembly equipment

that some manufacturers in emerging

markets have yet to invest in. For this

reason, Lattice is also making the iCE40

UltraLite available in BGA package with

a 0.4mm pitch, using the package size

up to 2.5mm.

FPGA for ‘always-on’

Debugging made simpler

A brand change for B&B

Electronics sees the company

changing its name to B+B

SmartWorx and, while still

focused on markets that

demand rugged solutions, is

repositioning itself to address the

needs of the ‘Industrial IoT’. It is

also seeking new channel

partners in the form of System

Integrators, to add to its network

of VARs.

ReB&Boot

A patent for a power supply heatsink

construction technique developed and

submitted by TDK- Lambda has been

approved by the UK Intellectual

Property Office. It comprises traditional

surface mounted power components

and lead-based power

semiconductors on a traditional IMS

(insulated metal substrate) board, but

uses double-sided adhesive tape that

is both thermally conductive and

insulating; no mechanical fasteners are

used. The board can subsequently be

soldered to a main circuit board.

Debugging made simplerFuture Electronics is running a series

of workshops to give designers a

chance to get hands-on with Cypress

Semiconductor’s new PSoC 4 BLE

solution, which integrates its

configurable mixed-signal platform

with a Bluetooth Low Energy radio.

The workshops are running across

Europe between January and April.

As well as providing tuition and a free

Pioneer kit, attendees will learn about

the constraints and challenges

involved with developing low power

sensor-based systems for the IoT, as

well as getting to grips with the key

elements of the BLE protocol stack.

To register to attend a workshop, visit

www.futureelectronics.com/en/promo

tions/EventsAndSeminars/Pages/inde

x.aspx or contact your local Future

representative.

BLE for You and Me!


Market & Trends


Complexity threatens growth in the IoT

The connected home is often cited as the most

compelling consumer-facing market in the

domain of the Internet of Things (IoT). While

much of the technology has been at our

disposal for some years, the market has yet to

take off. Questions like ‘does this uplighter

support Zigbee, Z-Wave or Bluetooth? Will the

motion sensors be able to link to my lights and

heating system?’ are set to become quite

common in our homes, unless we see a change

from the route that the industry is going. I believe

that without simple and compelling propositions,

and a focus on simplifying the technical

integration, much of the growth that the industry

is hoping to see realised, will not materialise.

Admittedly, the connected home is a complex

ecosystem – both from a technical and a

commercial perspective. For example,

manufacturers are increasingly confronted by

multiple different communication standards and

protocols. An increasing range of companies

across telecoms, energy, retail, construction and

insurance have started their own initiatives to

explore the market’s opportunities. The end

result of all these efforts: a growing set of

connected devices that can’t be connected

outside their own segregated silo; further

confusing the market and limiting the value to

the customer. In order to avoid this

fragmentation, we believe a collaborative

approach is needed.

Interoperable platforms constitute the

foundation of a promising connected home

strategy. For consumers, they broaden the

choice of products available and greatly simplify

the smooth integration of new connected

devices in their home. For manufacturers and

service providers, such platforms offer APIs,

SDKs, tools and best practices, which reduce

development cycles and lead to a faster time-

to-market.

The industry has already recognised the

importance of a joined-up approach to the

market. Google’s Nest recently announced the

inclusion of 15 new partners into its smart home

offer. Apple and Samsung have done likewise.

Deutsche Telekom has also built an open

connected home platform in Germany,

QIVICON, which is utilised by over 30 partners,

including Samsung, Miele, Philips, Osram,

Sonos, and Huawei. Nonetheless, there are still

many segregated solutions and offers in the

market that are too focused on technology. To

drive mass market adoption, we as an industry

need to prioritise the customer’s needs and

expectations. Offers have to answer clear

customer needs and be more than gimmicks

and gadgets.

I strongly believe that innovative and

collaborative business models will be the key to

success. Mutual collaboration leads to a higher

degree of compatibility across devices and

services, which in turn can create a larger set of

possible cross-connections and enhanced

value for customers. Heating systems interact

with door and window sensors, security

systems and smoke detectors influence

insurance tariffs. Why should I pay extra for my

home insurance, if I’ve made sure I have

functioning smoke alarm, when others haven’t?

It’s the connections between previously

separated components, which constitute the

core benefits of a connected home. Here lies

the real value, which can only be unlocked by

mutual collaborations. t

The IoT needs a stronger focus on

customers’ needs, the customer experience

and the creation of partnerships, leveraging

collaborative business models. By Jon

Carter, UK Head of Business Development –

Connected Home, Deutsche Telekom

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We are the IoT!

This year marks the 13th Embedded World

Exhibition & Conference and, according to the

organisers, it is once again set to break its own

record for attendees and exhibitors. The theme

for this year’s event is simple; ‘We are the

Internet of Things’, highlighting the importance of

embedded systems in a connected world.

The conference programme focuses on the key

elements of a networked society; quality, safety

and security. Spanning all three days, highlights

include The McGuire Class on Open-Source Risk

Management, the Ultra-Low Power Workshop,

and the Panel Discussion on Car-2-X

communication. The programme overview

provides further details of all presentation topics.

Meanwhile, we provide here a short preview of

some of the highlights from the exhibition floor,

giving you a taste of things to come!

Arrow Electronics (Hall 5, Stand 351) has adopted

a theme of ‘Intelligent Systems’ and will present

a range of solutions on its stand, as well as its

vision of intelligent systems that sense, connect

and control. Visitors to Arrow’s stand will be able

to see how its solutions apply to industrial,

automotive and high-end applications. This will

include a range of ARM Cortex-A and Cortex-M

SoCs, FPGAs and module-based products,

along with intelligent power management,

storage and memory solutions.

During the show, Perforce Software (Hall 4, Stand 408)will be debuting a new product specifically aimed at

the multi-domain simulation and model-based design

environment; Mathworks Simulink. It is intended to

help design and test engineers to cooperate using

models that are both protected and versioned.

designPreview

In a short while, all eyes in the global embedded electronics industry

will once again be turned towards Nuremberg in Germany, where more

exhibitors and, it’s expected, more visitors than any previous year will

congregate for three critically important days to learn about the latest

trends and technologies shaping our world.



The Qt Company (Hall 4, Stand 308) will be

showing off the latest release of the cross-

platform application and user-interface

framework; Qt 5.4, at its stand. With this

release, the framework introduces a

Chromium-based browser engine called Qt

WebEngine, which supports HTML5 hybrid

development to provide ‘future-proofing’ of

web technologies in an embedded application.

Represents from Qt Company will be on hand

to demonstrate other enhancements to the

framework, such as an improved 2D renderer

plugin that allows it to run on low-end devices

that don’t have any GPU support.

Improvements to productivity are also

highlighted, thanks to an updated IDE.

As well as highlighting its latest hardware and

software solutions for the IoT, Silicon Labs (Hall4A, Stand 128) CEO, Tyson Tuttle, will be

delivering the opening day keynote, entitled

‘Engineering the IoT, An RF Expert’s View on

Technology Trends and Challenges’. In addition

to discussing ultra-low power embedded

wireless platforms, the keynote will also explore

the diversity of wireless technologies including

low-power Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Smart, ZigBee and

Thread. Tuttle believes 2015 will be a ‘tipping

point’ where advances in low-energy design,

wireless protocols, application layer standards

and SoC integration will converge to drive large-

scale deployments across all IoT segments.

Silicon Labs will also be presenting a number of

papers throughout the conference, including

‘How to Design a Winning Wearable Product’

(Thursday, 3:30 - 4:00PM). It will also be giving

away EFM32 Gecko MCU, 8-bit MCU and

Sensor development kits from its stand to

qualifying developers.

Drawing from the strength of its ecosystem,

Xilinx (Hall 1, Stand 209) will be demonstrating a

range of All Programmable solutions for vision

applications, including a simultaneous

localisation and mapping algorithm which is ‘key’

to enabling self-parking vehicles. Another

demonstration, currently on display at the

Museum of Mathematics in New York City, will be

available on the stand, which shows how high-

resolution image processing contributes to a

precision positioning system. There will also be a

number of demonstrations focusing on the

design

Conference overview:

Preview



Smart Factory, and Xilinx will also deliver three

presentations during the conference.

While its product portfolio is broad, ToshibaElectronics Europe (Hall 5, Stand 268) will be

focusing on solutions for wearable technology

and the IoT at Embedded World 2015,

particularly application processors from its

‘ApPLite’ range, which support secure

communication and processing of text, sound,

image and sensor data. In addition, Toshiba will

be demonstrating its recently introduced

Bluetooth-NFC-Tag combo IC, intended to

provide ‘effortless’ pairing.

A new partnership will be officially announced

during Embedded World between ESL SmartSolutions (Hall 4, Stand 660) and LPRS, which will

match ESL’s cloud-based platform with LPRS’

industrial wireless products. To mark the occasion,

LPRS is sponsoring a change to win one of three

EventMan Cloud platforms and one mont

complimentary cloud service package. For a

chance of winning, visit http://goo.gl/3Ck5St. ESL

Smart Solutions was formed as a subsidiary of

ESL, to address cloud-based solutions for M2M

and IoT applications. As a practical demonstration

of the platform, LPRS will have a model starlight in

action, showing the value of live data for alarm

and predictive maintenance purposes.

Under the theme of building the car of the future

today, Cadence (Hall 4, Stand 116) will be

demonstrating its solutions for ADAS,

infotainment, ECU design, Automotive Ethernet,

and early software development and verification

of embedded systems. Cadence’s Frank

Schirmeister will also be presenting a paper on

software quality during the conference

(Wednesday, 11:00 - 11:30).

Following the theme of this year’s event, WindRiver (Hall 4, Stand 260) Chief Strategy Officer,

Gareth Noyes, will be delivering Thursday’s

keynote presentation, entitled ‘Delivering End-to-

End Intelligence for the Internet of Things’. It will

describe how end-to-end solutions will bridge

the IT-to-Device gap, and software’s role in that.

The company will also present a number of

papers during the conference looking at security,

particularly in Linux-based systems. The same

theme will be apparent on its stand, with working

demonstrations.

Also aiming to demonstrate expertise in all

things IoT, Rutronik ElektronischeBauelemente (Hall 1, Stand 310) will be

presenting a number of its embedded

products designed to link internet-capable

machines with industrial devices, as well as

solutions complete solutions for

consumer/lifestyle, health care, home

automation and security systems. Along with

live demonstrations showing how to manage

SIM cards for industrial applications in the

cloud, the first Bluetooth 4.2 chip and

module solutions will be on display, which will

designPreview


be joined by examples of 6LoWPAN

products.

Demonstrating its first COM Express Compact

Size Type 6 module, the cExpress-BL, will be the

highlight for Adlink Technology (Hall 1, Stand 538)

during this year’s event. The module is based on

the 5th generation Intel Core i7 and i5

processors, and features its Smart Embedded

Management Agent (SEMA) to provide access to

detailed system activities at the device level.

Furthermore, SEMA-equipped devices can

connect ‘seamlessly’ with Adlink’s SEMA Cloud

solution to enable remote monitoring,

autonomous status analysis, custom data

collection and the initiation of appropriate

actions. Adlink will also be showing off its

industrial mobile tablet running Windows 8.1,

and its new embedded IoT gateway; the Matrix

MXE-200i.

First time exhibitor, Conrad Business Supplies (Hall5, Stand 318), intends to make an impact at

Embedded World 2015, with daily live demos on

its stand, interactive exhibits and the chance to

win prizes. Its theme for the show will be ‘Explore

the Future’ and it will feature a mixture of own-

brand products as well as the latest offerings

design

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Preview


from its suppliers. A wide selection of

development kits will also be on show, inviting

visitors to get ‘hands on’ with the technology.

One of the prizes on offer will be its own

WunderBar IoT Starter-Kit.

On the PLS Programmierbare Logik & Systemestand (Hall 4, Stand 310) the tools company will

be demonstrating the latest release of its

Universal Debug Engine; UDE 4.4, which

features significantly enhanced debugging

procedures for complex SoCs with

heterogeneous controller cores, as well as

dedicated support for a wide range of 32bit

multicore SoCs from a range of manufacturers

including Infineon, Freescale, STMicro, and Xilinx.

According to PLS, this release also heralds an

enhancement to the DWARF standard, which is

freely available for all compiler manufacturers,

which enables branch coverage measurements

on optimised code.

With a focus on complete IoT solutions for

Industry 4.0, Unitronic (Hall 5, Stand 354) will be

demonstrating two examples on its stand; one

for Smart Homes and one for Industrial

applications. The company’s experts will be on

hand to discuss all the steps necessary in

creating a complete solution, from selecting the

sensors to storing their data on an optimised IT

structure. Individual steps will be illustrated using

sensors to collect data, wireless gateways to

aggregate the data and a server to process it.

The two example solutions on show at the stand

represent Unitronic’s competence gained from its

many years of experience in sensor technology

and M2M communications, and believes it is in a

position to react quickly to new customer

demands.

Focusing on connectivity and automation, Silica(Hall 1, Stand 340) will be staging a number of

examples of how to connect different devices

using different methods on its stand. It’s an effort

to move beyond the ‘glass case’ demonstrations

of yesteryear, towards interactivity to deliver

information in a fun and interesting way. The

demonstrations will comprise solutions from

Analog Devices, Freescale, Infineon, Maxim

Integrated, Microchip, NXP, ON Semiconductor,

Renesas, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments

and Xilinx.

One of the interactive demos will deliver pieces of

chocolate to visitors, selected using an NFC tag

or a smartphone app. The demo harnesses

typical industrial processes including motor

control, robotics, machine vision and NFC. At the

heart of the demo is one of Avnet’ ZedBoards

featuring a Zynq-7000 SoC from Xilinx.

Another demo, from ArchiTech, will allow visitors

designPreview



to order a cup of coffee, while Maxim Integrated’s

beer mug factory (first seen at electronica last

November) will also be present, which is

empowered by Maxim’s Micro PLC platform.

Test and debug tool vendor, JTAG Technologies(Hall 4, Stand 578), will be presenting

CoreCommander and JTAG Translator for

FPGAs. The former offers direct access to

memory and peripheral controllers in FPGAs, for

testing, debugging and in-system programming

purposes, while the latter in an IP module that

provides a JTAG interface to the internal IP

connection bus of an FPGA, to which peripherals

and peripheral controllers may be connected.

In addition, there will be a demonstration of a

new module aimed at the support of new IEEE

P1687 (IJTAG) compliant devices that are

currently under development. Devised as an

evolutionary extension to the basic IEEE 1149.1

and IEEE 1500 standards, it describes how

embedded (test) instruments within a device or

SoC may be accessed using the conventional

4/5 wire JTAG port.

RS Components (Hall 4, Stand 348) will be

showcasing the latest versions of its design

software packages DesignSpark PCB and

DesignSpark Mechanical, as well as the very

latest Raspberry Pi and Arduino boards and

other open-source platforms. Visitors to the

stand will also see demonstrations of the

distributor’s 3D printing portfolio.

Altera (Hall 5, Stand 277) will be showcasing

automotive and industrial applications on its

stand, based on its latest SoC solutions. Visitors

will be able to see the latest generation; Arria 10

SoCs, which are manufactured on a 20nm

process, as well as cloud-based PLCs based on

a Cyclone V SoC, demonstrations of security IP,

video processing acceleration, and motor control.

design Preview

Fachmesse · Exhibition

Hardware, Distribution, Dienstleistungen Hardware, distribution, services

Tools, Distribution, Dienstleistungen Tools, distribution, services

Anwendungs-Software, Distribution, Dienstleistungen Application software, distribution, services

electronic displays Area

M2M Area

Fachkongresse · Conferences

Service · Services

Karl-Schönleben-Straße Karl-Schönleben-Straße

Otto-Bärnreuther-Straße

West

Einfahrt . Access

OstEinfahrt . Access

U-Bahn / SubwayMesse

Betriebshof

AusstellerShopExhibitorShop

3A

Messepark

12

3

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789

7A12 11 10

4A

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S 9Mitte

Funktions Center

Rotunde

ServicePartnerCenter

Service-Center Mitte

West / Mitte

ParkhausParking

Ost

Süd

VIP Ost 2

VIP Ost 1

VIP West/ Mitte

Ost

Süd-Ost 2Süd-Ost 1

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NCC West Franken-halle

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50 100m0

OstEingangEntrance

MitteEingangEntrance

ew2015_Plan+Legende_v4_09-04-2014.indd 1 09.04.14 13:35

Fachmesse · Exhibition

Hardware, Distribution, Dienstleistungen Hardware, distribution, services

Tools, Distribution, Dienstleistungen Tools, distribution, services

Anwendungs-Software, Distribution, Dienstleistungen Application software, distribution, services

electronic displays Area

M2M Area

Fachkongresse · Conferences

Service · Services

ew2015_Plan+Legende_v4_09-04-2014.indd 1 09.04.14 13:35

Exhibition Floorplan:


Energy


Metering faces the costs of being smart

design

The roll out of smart meters looks set to begin in

earnest for many countries over the next five

years, but the situation is a bit of a mess, with

different countries and even different utilities

within those countries going their own way in

terms of how the meters work and, just as

importantly, the way those meters will

communicate over long and short distances. And

these problems are not going to go away. Given

the high cost of replacing meters, the aim is for

the meters to have an installed life of the order of

15 to 20 years. This means at least a couple of

decades are likely to pass before any agreed

standards on smart metering will result in some

sort of unification in the market. This is also going

to find little favour among consumers, who are

used to updating technology every couple of

years. The early takers for smart meter

programmes will be seething five or so years

down the line when they see their neighbours

getting the latest models while they are locked in

to an older model for another 15 years at least.

On top of all that, this disjointed market makes

little financial sense as it is difficult to achieve the

economies of scale that are needed to drive the

costs of the meters down to more acceptable

levels. True, some are getting round this by

allowing more updates via software and

effectively over-designing on the communications

side by giving the meters the ability to work with

different wireless standards. Some are even

going down the software-defined radio route.

“There is some standardisation,” said Jean-Marc

Darchy, Business Development Manager at

Freescale. “But it is still an important political

game. There is still a legacy of all the contributors

to the programmes as regards when and what is

going to happen.” Part of the problem is the

differing geographies that make up the countries.

For example, for remote farms and houses in a

rural environment, it might make more

technological sense to have the communications

using existing cellular networks given the

distances involved, but the cellular networks are

notoriously poor in some rural areas, which will

The smart meter market is awash with

different standards and technologies and, as

Steve Rogerson found, there is little sign of

any light at the end of the tunnel


Energy


mean more investment in base stations. “Who is

going to pay for a base station for one or two

farms?” asked Olivier Amiot, Marketing Director

at Sierra Wireless.

In urban areas, it may make more sense to use

optical fibre or have local hubs and use a short-

haul communications standard to link them with

homes. Given short-range radio will be used in

many cases within the home, this has its

attractions. But there is not even agreement on

the best way to link the homes in neighbourhood

area networks, with proponents of both mesh

and star topologies.

“The advantage of star topology is it is better

suited to battery operated devices,” said Jon

Lewis, Operations Director at Senaptic. “With a

mesh network, each node has to relay

messages, so that means each node will have

more traffic and its receiver has to be on all the

time. For electricity meters with their own power,

that is not so much an issue, but for battery-

powered meters it is.”

There is even a debate on whether it is the meter

itself that connects to this network or whether

the meter connects to a separate device in the

home and through that to the neighbourhood

network. “No one solution will fit all the cases,”

said Amiot. “It will be very difficult to find one

solution. There is nothing that suits everyone.”

Another problem crops up in urban areas for

the short-haul transmissions with the different

types of housings, and blocks of flats are

causing particular headaches. “Small houses

are relatively easy to cover,” said Lewis. “But

blocks of flats can have all their meters in one

room on the ground floor and you have to go

up through several floors to get to the displays

in the flats. One way is to use powerline

technology, but that is more expensive. The

other is to use a sub-gigahertz version of

Zigbee and that is being defined, but flats will

still be the most difficult to cover.”

The problems are exasperated because in a

connected home the different meters – water,

gas and electricity – may also need to

communicate with each other and maybe with a

central hub, which brings with it questions of

interoperability. “Each region is picking a different

frequency,” said Vivek Mohan, Senior Product

Manager at Silicon Labs. “You need true

integration with different vendors’ meters talking

to each other. This can be quite difficult.”

SecurityOne of the major concerns with smart meters is

security. This comes in two forms. First, there is a

need to protect the meters in the home from

tampering, to make sure people don’t work out

ways they can fiddle the meter to reduce their

bills. The second is security on the grid itself, to

design


Energy


protect against malicious hacking that could

bring down the electricity network.

“There are also concerns about the data being

used to learn about the use habits of people,”

said Jim Aralis, Chief Technology Officer at

Microsemi. “People can see this as an invasion

of privacy, especially if the smart meter is talking

with your appliances in a connected home.”

Even though some of these security risks may be

remote, Aralis still believes they need to be taken

seriously: “With a meter, the potential of stealing

an operator’s power is there,” he said. “But it is

not huge. For the network, you need multiple

levels of security to stop people turning off the

grid or overloading it. You need hardware and

software to stop this.”

In home networks, there will also be different

security requirements at different parts of the

network, which will make the communications

trickier. “People talk about common security

between, say, a thermostat and the smart

meter,” said Mohan. “But the security

requirements of these devices are less than

what the smart meter needs. It comes down

to what the consumer will pay. They are not

going to pay a lot for a door or window sensor.

If they are too expensive, they will not be

viable. So, do you need the same level of

security in home automation? That is a big

question and people are arguing both sides of

it. I think in five years we will have a common

security protocol for this.”

The other problem on the meter side is the

security has to be good for the life of the meter,

which as said could be 15 to 20 years, or maybe

longer. But David Hughes, CEO at HCC

Embedded, believes the security that is available

today is good enough: “Very few algorithms have

been cracked in recent years,” he said. “Most of

the hacks have been down to poor coding

standards rather than the algorithms used.”

He said that as long as people used higher

coding standards, there would not be a problem:

“The communications side is not a problem as

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Energy


the bandwidth is very small,” he said. “The issue

is to build a secure and clean system.” He also

said the meter makers needed to invest in

secure and reliable flash memory so this would

continue working for the life of the meter: “Flash

by its nature is quite unstable,” he said. “We have

done work to make it last a long time. To get the

reliability, you have to invest.”

CostsThe main goal coming from governments and

utilities is to bring down the price of smart

meters. The installations themselves are going to

cost a fortune, so any savings that can be made

with the meters will be more than welcome. “The

goal for a lot of companies like us is to find an

innovative approach to reduce the cost,” said

Freescale’s Darchy. “We are looking at things like

having single chips that will do both the

measurement and communications. Only very

recently, in the last 12 to 18 months, have

standard microcontrollers been developed with

the speeds to handle the stacks in real time.”

He said the meter market was getting close to

what happened with mobile in that there would

be software-defined meters: “Everything is

running on software,” he said, “so you can

change this quite quickly with a software update.

Most of the MCUs will be running on ARM cores,

so they will not depend on proprietary DSPs or

hardware accelerators. It can be done on a

standard MCU.”

Aralis thinks the metering and communications

chips will stay separate for some time, mainly

due to the lack of standardisation: “There is no

standardisation on communications, so putting

them together creates too many variables,” he

said. “But as we standardise this will start to

happen at least on a country level. The

technology is there to put everything on a single

chip and make it more economical; the problem

is standardisation.”

Mohan added: “When you design these

products, you make them really flexible to

support different requirements and load whatever

software stack is needed. We have a common

hardware platform for whatever software is

loaded. Most semiconductor vendors do not

have the luxury of producing different ICs for

each region. That is an expensive way to do it.”

He pointed out that this was really a software-

defined radio approach to let the chips be used

with different networks: “This means you can

load Zigbee, Wifi or a Wireless Mbus stack onto

the same hardware.”

Amiot believes the answer to the cost problem is

to simplify everything: “Technologies such as

LTE are high speed and high bandwidth,” he

said, “but for this type of M2M application you

need low power and low bandwidth, and that

can drive cost massively down. You can get rid

of all the unnecessary silicon and be more like

the 2G model.”

design


Energy

The smart meter programme will have the

difficulty of still being in the development phase

as it is rolled out and some of the early adopters

are going to find problems that have not yet been

considered. “There will be lessons learned from

the initial installations,” said Darchy. “There will be

some surprises and difficulties to overcome. No

country is the same and each will have their own

issues. For example, the noise on the networks

will be different because they have been

designed differently.”

The key, he said, will be being able to adapt

quickly to these discoveries: “We are not just

going to be able to ship something and have it

work in every case,” he said. t

design

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Energy


Wireless charging charges ahead

Delivering energy wirelessly is attractive for

numerous reasons, but its limitations can’t be

ignored; the technology can demand close

proximity with little tolerance for misalignment,

introducing device size limitations, in addition the

amount of power than can be transferred can

preclude its use with more power-hungry devices.

Of course, while well established the technology is

still in its early stages, relatively speaking. It’s going

to take some time before inductive power transfer

is as ubiquitous as the humble standard cell

battery or AC/DC adapter. Standardisation can

sometimes be seen as a doubled-edged sword in

emerging markets, particularly where more than

one exists, as is the case with wireless charging; it

can often force component manufacturers to

support all at the same time, inevitably adding cost

and complexity. However, the recently announced

merger between two of the standards in questions

— Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and Power

Matters Alliance (PMA), based on magnetic

resonance and inductive coupling respectively —

could significantly simplify the landscape. The

organisations have signed a letter of intent to

merge the two bodies by June 2015; described as

‘key milestone’. It is hoped that the merger will

reduce market confusion, presenting fewer

standards (and therefore lower complexity/cost for

manufacturers).

The merger has been proposed as a ‘logical

direction’ to unify the wireless charging market, but

it still leaves the Wireless Power Consortium and its

‘Qi’ standard (based on inductive coupling) as a

prevailing alternative. According to Ron Resnick,

President of the PMA, there is a chance for further

consolidation in the future, he commented: “We

remain open to all options for the future.”

The popularity of the Qi standard is evident; IDT

recently announced that its wireless power chips

have been designed in to the Cube remote control

from 4MOD Technology, based on the Qi

standard. 4MOD’s CEO, Laurent Stephan, said:

“Wireless charging is an important part of the Cube

user experience, and we wanted to make sure we

got it right. IDT’s success in developing wireless

power products for a broad range of applications

made choosing a vendor an easy decision.”

We need more power!The division within the industry and end-market

isn’t stopping its pioneers from forging ahead, and

one of the more recent developments is a

significant increase in the amount of power that

can be transferred. Freescale recently announced

a 15W Qi-compliant wireless charging solution

which increases the amount of power that can be

transferred wirelessly by three times. “Today’s

mobile products offer a broader range of features,

functionality and form factors than ever before,

Will removing division in the industry help

promote wireless charging to greater

heights? Philip Ling takes a look at the latest

developments

design


Energy


requiring developers of wireless charging systems

to accommodate larger batteries and enable

faster recharge speeds,” commented Denis

Cabrol, Director of Global Marketing and Business

Development for Freescale’s MCU Group.

Toshiba Electronics Europe (TEE) has also

increased the amount of power its solutions can

support, to a 10W version that remains Qi V1.1

compliant. It boost the power output from 5V/1A

to 7-12V/1A. TEE Field Application Engineer,

Marcus Schorpp, explained that the need for

more power was always apparent: “Even at the

time when WPC Low Power standardisation

development started, the need for higher power

was already in demand and the need for a

Medium Power standard was emphasised.”

The reason is apparent to anyone with a smart

phone; portable devices are becoming more

power-hungry. “The capacity of batteries in smart

phones, tablets and other rechargeable battery

powered devices increases steadily,” added

Schorpp. “Since the acceptable charging time of

a device is a ‘constant’, regardless of the battery

size, charging currents need to increase to meet

with consumer expectations.”

“Bosch Power Tools recently introduced a

wirelessly chargeable battery for their professional

battery powered cordless drills, with the ability to

charge a relatively large battery in a short time. I

strongly believe that we will see more and more

devices on the market that will need t be charged

with much more than 5W; even the automobile

industry is interested in wireless charging hybrid of

full electric vehicles.”

Realistic limitsToshiba recently developed a 7kW wireless power

transfer system for Electric Vehicles, which raises

an interesting question; what limits wireless

charging, the standard or the technology?

“Predominantly in the traditional applications of

mobile phones it’s the size or volume available for

wireless power receiver systems; the coils are the

largest part of that,” explained Schorpp. “Larger

coils would offer higher charging currents, but

consumers ask for thinner, more compact phones.

Higher power transfer also requires thicker ferrites

and shielding in the phone, and other power

receiving devices, which is often in conflict with the

consumer demand for smaller devices.”

As with most things, the market will ultimately

decide; it’s not improbable that we experience a

period of cross-over, as Schorpp explained: “It

may be a matter of time until the first standard C-

sized or even A, AA or AAA sized rechargeable

batteries will be available with wireless recharging.

It would be nice for the user if they could recharge

those batteries on a wireless power plate that

could also be used to recharge their phone. But

with rechargeable batteries the cost pressure is

very high, and the available product volume is very

limited — the volume required for the wireless

charging system would reduce the batteries’

capacity quite a bit.”

Schorpp pointed out that TEE is a member of

WPC, A4WP and PMA but is currently only mass

producing products compliant with the WPC

standard and believes the A4WP/PMA merger is a

positive move, but added: “It remains to be seen

how long it will really take to merge both in to a

single standard and develop products that comply

with both technologies; resonant and inductive

coupling.” According to Schorpp, it is also

important to note that the WPC is in the process of

developing a resonant power solution. Ultimately,

the future direction of wireless charging may

depend less on the smart phone and more on

emerging applications. t

design


Energy


Smart Grids must also be Streetwise

design

According to the British government’s energy.gov

website, the term ‘Smart grid’ generally refers to

a class of technology people are using to bring

utility electricity delivery systems into the 21st

century. It’s a great idea, but with one major

drawback: the 21st century is becoming a

dangerous place for innocent newcomers –

however smart. According to a US Defence

Secretary, attackers are targeting the computer

control systems that operate chemical, electricity

and water plants, and those that guide

transportation throughout the country, a cyber-

attack perpetrated by nation states or violent

extremist groups could be as destructive as the

terrorist attack of 9/11.

The idea of a smart grid is being applied across a

wide range of public utilities, transport and

industrial control systems, but the most obvious

example is electricity, where a ‘national grid’

delivers power to homes and business via wires,

substations transformers and switches. This is

largely a one-way transfer, from power station to

the consumer. Meanwhile data from the users

and network infrastructure has traditionally been

gathered by sending out staff to read meters,

and engineers to inspect the system for broken

cables or faults.

A smart grid, however, uses two-way

communication and computer processing to

gather such information. This not only saves

money by reducing the need for field staff, it also

allows real-time data gathering that can increase

efficiency. With the move to ‘green energy’ it

becomes all the more important to respond

quickly to changing consumer demand and

faults, and a smart grid makes that possible.

An electrical grid is fundamental to electricity

delivery, but the use of electrical control grids

extends to a whole range of national services:

transport, water and waste, gas supply and

industrial control systems all rely on instructions

transmitted from a central controller to outlying

switches or traffic signals. And in every case

there will be potential benefits from upgrading

these into two-way smart grids allowing, for

example, the immediate detection of leaks in a

water main.

VulnerabilityWhat sort of communication is used on a smart

grid? The default option for most computer

communication is Internet Protocol, so that the

smart grid becomes an intranet linking all its

parts. And when it comes to connecting

individual homes and far-flung sites it makes

good sense to connect via the ubiquitous

Internet rather than lay new cables. This is exactly

where the greatest vulnerability can arise –

welcome to the 21st century!

In theory a utility smart grid could be totally

independent of the Internet, running on its own

dedicated cabling across the nation. But in

practice it often makes sense to use existing

telecommunication lines rather than laying new

cables, especially to far-flung sites. The same

thing has been happening in business

organisations, where previously independent

systems such as fire and burglar alarms, smoke

detection, and industrial control systems

increasingly run across the same corporate IT

network.

The use of sophisticated information

technology to control nation-wide utility

delivery increases efficiency but introduces

new hazards. There are lessons to be learnt

from those with long experience of testing

such critical infrastructures, according to

David Hill VP EMEA, Spirent

Communications


Energy


design

But even if an attempt is made to quarantine the

smart grid from the Internet, it is not easy to

maintain that state. Corporate IT networks have

for years been facing the challenge of ‘network

permeability’; whereas the earliest networks

consisted of isolated computers linked by cables,

today’s networks have to cope with mobile staff

plugging in their laptops anywhere on the

network, also with wireless access from

smartphones and with data transfer via USB

memory sticks.

So, instead of sealing the network from the

Internet, the main focus has been on ways to run

secure services over the Internet. A host of

solutions are available, including firewalls, intruder

detection systems and deep packet inspection

devices to examine all the traffic on a network

and look for anomalies. These forms of

protection are very necessary, especially for a

nation’s critical infrastructure where so much is at

stake. Don’t be fooled by the argument that

public utilities rely on highly customised systems,

with no two alike, so that hacking them would be

impossible without insider knowledge. Hackers

have long known how to get such knowledge.

Specific instances where intruders have

successfully gained access to these control

systems are well documented. We also know

these disruptive influences are seeking to create

advanced tools to attack these systems and

cause panic, destruction, and even the loss of

life. However, as everyone with experience in IT

networks knows, every addition to a network,

however necessary, increases its complexity. And

that makes it harder to predict.

The testing imperative So the real challenge for any national smart grid

is this: how can we secure a highly complex

system? Unless the engineers managing the grid

have long experience with complex networks –

the sort of experience gained over decades by

telecommunications and IT network engineers –

it is easy to underestimate this challenge.

Security vendors will assure you that their

products will make the network utterly secure,

and provide good reasons to justify their claims.

So, consider this ‘thought experiment’, imagine

that you have won a prize to be the first civilian to

fly to the moon. It’s exciting, but also scary. So

the NASA team spends a whole day showing

you the blueprint of the spacecraft and explaining

all the fail safe and security provisions built in.

That is encouraging, but still pretty scary. Now

imagine that you are also told that the same

space ship has flown hundreds of moon

missions and never once failed. That is far more

reassuring, because we humans do have an

innate sense of complexity and know that,

however smart the design, a complex system

can only be proven by repeated testing.

And that is how it is with today’s complex IT

networks: you design in all the safety and security

features that are needed, but you then submit it

to rigorous testing under realistic operating

conditions as well as extreme loads and attack

situations in order to make sure it is secure and

also to allow fine- tuning of the network for

optimal performance.

This sort of testing is critically important for the

sort of smart grids being planned for our national

utility infrastructure. The good news is that there

are companies that have long experience in

testing IT and telecoms networks, and

sophisticated tools are available to facilitate

testing of highly complex networks under real-

world conditions. The first lesson from years of

network testing is that you need two types of

test: Security testing and performance testing.

The need for security testing against attacks and

system faults is obvious, what is less obvious is

that a complex network can develop surprising

problems under varying loads. A telecoms

network, for example, might be able to handle

hundreds of gigabits of data per second during

file transfers and yet fail at a much lower

bandwidth when handling a mix of different types

of traffic – e.g. video and voice over IP. So it is

necessary not just to test its greatest data

capacity but also to test how it performs under a

whole range of realistic traffic scenarios and

combinations of traffic.


Energy


Security testing should include three main

stages. First the sort of assessment that

might be provided by those security

vendors: an experienced eye looking over

the existing or planned grid for obvious

weak points or vulnerabilities, and making

sure they are protected.

The second stage is to simulate actual

attacks under real-world operating

conditions. Today’s sophisticated test tools

not only simulate all combinations of normal

operating conditions but also combine

these with state-of-the-art malware attacks.

Most relevant to a national grid are the so-

called Denial of Service attacks that could

cut off users from the service and cause

widespread panic. The most advanced test

tools are integrated with a cloud database

that is kept up to date with every new

attack or virus as they occur, rather than

waiting days or weeks for patches to be

distributed.

The third stage is to explore further for

unknown vulnerabilities, and today’s smart

test solutions have the flexibility to allow

very detailed testing around the boundaries

of normal operation. For example: what

happens when a system requires a long

pass-code to be input and an operator

mistakes a capital ‘O’ for a zero? Does it

simply report an error, or does the wrong

type of character crash the system? The

best test solutions allow for ‘fuzz testing’ –

testing such variations from normal

behaviour to anticipate problems that might

accidentally arise.

And then we come to performance testing.

Today’s networks have to carry many types

of traffic – data, video, voice, control signals

etc – and a range of different protocols for

each. It is not enough just to know the

maximum bandwidth capacity but also how

the network behaves under a whole

spectrum of different operating conditions.

The right test solution in the hands of an

experienced network test engineer will be

able to test the network to all its limits, and

design


Energy


provide clear reports to show where

problems could occur.

The ideal is, of course, to have a grid that

can handle every operating condition and

survive any type of attack or local fault, but

this is hardly realistic. The real value of a

comprehensive network test report is often

that it spells out the system’s limits, rather

than saying it is perfect. So, during a crisis,

when a certain type of traffic is surging, the

grid operators know where the danger point

lies and can take precautionary steps

before that point is reached.

What sort of standards exist for the security

of a nation’s critical infrastructure? In the

USA, the Department of Homeland Security

is working with service providers. But

information sharing alone is not sufficient. It

is essential to work with the business

community, to develop baseline standards

for our most critical private-sector

infrastructure, including power plants, water

treatment facilities, and gas pipelines.

In Britain, The Centre for the Protection of

National Infrastructure is collaborating with

the British Standards Institution to create

standards addressing a number of critical

concerns such as mail and food and drink

security. The Office of Energy Delivery &

Energy Reliability’s Energy Delivery Systems

Cybersecurity web page also offers useful

guidelines for securing the grid.

Meanwhile, it makes a lot of sense to speak

to any company that has spent years in the

business of testing the performance and

security of the world’s most critical financial,

government, medical and corporate

networks. Today’s utility grids are getting a

lot smarter, but to survive in the 21st

century they also need to be streetwise –

and that demands a whole lot of

experience. t

design


Energy


What if a building could generate its own

electricity, without the addition of external solar

panels? BIPV (Building Integrated Photovoltaics)

is the idea of integrating photovoltaic materials

into the fabric of the building itself, rather than

installing separate solar panels. These systems

replace non-active parts of the building, such as

window glass or roof tiles, with modules that can

capture energy from the sun.

BIPV is a different concept to PV in a lot of ways.

In contrast to standard PV solar panels, BIPV

modules are dual-purpose – their mechanical

function as a construction material complements

their electrical function. Generating electrical

power from the environment therefore needs to

be considered right at the start of the

architectural process. Another way that standard

PV differs from BIPV is in the technology used.

The most commonly used technology behind

traditional PV panels today is crystalline silicon,

which comes in two flavours: monocrystalline

and multicrystalline. Monocrystalline silicon uses

wafers cut from a single, very large crystal of

silicon, whereas the most common type,

multicrystalline, is slightly less efficient but more

cost effective. In both cases, the crystalline

material is doped and a ‘sandwich’ of n- and p-

type materials is created. This single junction is

covered with a layer of glass to protect it from the

environment. Efficiency for monocrystalline cells

is up to 25%, dropping to a maximum of 20.4%

for multicrystalline, but low light conditions and

high ambient temperatures can negatively affect

performance.

In direct contrast, most BIPV modules use a

second-generation PV technology called thin-film.

In this technique, a photovoltaic material is

deposited onto a glass, plastic or metal substrate,

in a film that’s between a few nm to tens of

microns thick. PV materials that are used for thin-

film PV cells include cadmium telluride (CdTe) and

copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS).

Because there is so little material involved, the

cells are thin to the point of transparent,

lightweight and can even be manufactured on

mechanically flexible substrates. Other than the

material and thickness of the layers, cell structure

is similar to crystalline silicon, with n- and p-

doped layers forming a junction protected by an

encapsulation layer, such as glass. R&D in recent

years has brought efficiency up to around 21%,

however, some of the materials and

manufacturing processes are toxic.

The next step for photovoltaic technology is integrating it directly

into buildings, writes Sally Ward-Foxton

design

Building-in

power generation

Pictured: A new

BIPV facade at

Hanergy HQ in

Beijing, China. This

facade, designed to

resemble dragon

scales, generates

about 20% of the

total energy used by

the building.


Energy


Crystalline silicon prices have fallen dramatically

in the last few years, so rather than trying to

compete, thin-film solar has begun to focus

more on niche applications like BIPV where the

unique properties of the technology are an

advantage. These attributes (mechanical

flexibility, light weight and transparency) allow the

price differential to be justified in these

applications.

Growing marketAccording to the latest market research from

market analysts Lux Research, Inc., the total

market for new thin-film products in 2024 is

1.2GW, driven primarily by BIPV. Solar roofing

products have the most traction in BIPV today,

accounting for 425MW (around half the BIPV

market), but facade modules will grow faster,

reaching 407MW in 2024.

A common example of a facade installation of

BIPV is the CIS Tower in Manchester. This 118m

tall building was retrofitted with BIPV panels in

2004 after its original facade deteriorated due to

age. The photovoltaic panels generate around

180,000kWh of energy a year (averaging 20kW),

which is fed into the National Grid. BIPV on a

roof might be exemplified by the installation in

Perpignan SNCF Station in the South of France,

designed by Belgian architects ISSOL. The

station’s roof structure is made of thin-film PV

panels; a no-brainer when you consider that

Perpignan gets 220 days of sunshine every year.

The world leader in thin-film solar technology for

BIPV is Hanergy, which claims its BIPV

components have superior low-light

performance, high temperature resistance,

customisable shapes and colours, stable light

transmittance, and improved malleability over

traditional panels. The company is based in

Beijing, China; as the country industrialises, the

applicable area for BIPV in China’s urban areas is

expected to reach 1.79 billion square metres in

the next five years, with an estimated electricity

generation of 61.5 billion kWh. According to

Hanergy, if BIPV can fill all these square metres, it

will lead to the reduction in carbon dioxide

emissions of 52 million tons, equivalent to

planting 2.9 billion trees or offsetting the exhaust

emissions of 16 million cars.

Hanergy recently completed the first phase of a

project to cover its Beijing HQ in BIPV modules

that look like dragon scales, with a generation

capacity of 600kW, which is 20% of the

electricity demand of the building. These thin-film

PV ‘scales’ have different shapes, colours and

light transmittance rates, maximising visual

impact. When complete, the installation capacity

design

Figure 1: Heliatek’s

organic PV devices

use a tandem cell,

which allows

absorption of a

broad spectrum,

thanks to the two

different materials.


Energy


design

will equal the energy demand of the building

(3MW), using BIPV in curtain-walls, skywalks,

flexible roof installations and a carport.

A special type of organic thin-film photovoltaic

material has been developed by Heliatek in

Dresden, Germany. This material uses

oligomers (small molecules), building on the

success of oligomers in the OLED industry.

The company claims its materials are higher

efficiency and longer lifetime than PV materials

based on printed polymers (long molecules).

Heliatek’s world record is just 12% efficiency

for its solar cells, but the company says its

organic materials perform better in low light

and at high temperatures than crystalline

silicon and thin-film PV.

Heliatek devices use tandem cells (two cells

stacked on top of each other). The cells use

different materials which absorb at different

wavelengths, making it possible to absorb

energy from a broad spectrum using devices as

thin as 500nm. A recent test application of

Heliatek’s technology placed its organic solar

cells on the PVC membrane of an airdome in

Berlin. These domes are used for sport, events

or emergency accommodation but they are

notoriously energy-hungry, requiring big fans.

This test project used 2m x 2m squares for a

total coverage of 50m2, and produced 1.4kWp

(peak) of energy, which is 5% of the energy

demand of the dome. Heliatek, along with

the dome’s manufacturer,

Paranet, expect to

be able to

create domes that are energy self-sufficient by

2016. They plan to extend the PV material to

cover a quarter of the available surface and add

an energy storage and control system.

Also expected to be up and running in the near

future is the EU-sponsored SmartFlex project,

which involves the building of a production line

for PV facade modules in Vilinus, Lithuania. Since

architects often find that their BIPV designs for

facade elements are either technically impossible

or too expensive to be implemented, the project

includes specially-created design software used

to design BIPV modules in a variety of shapes

and colours, with the data sent directly to the

production line.

Initiatives like the SmartFlex project are making

BIPV easier for architects to specify, while the

development of new PV materials by companies

like Heliatek is pushing the science forward.

Someday all built structures may be able to

produce their own electricity, but in the mean

time, BIPV projects are providing significant

amounts of renewable energy for consumers,

offices and industries. t

A Paranet air-dome withHeliatek organicPV film integratedinto themembrane. In thistest installation,the green areasprovide 5% of theenergy requiredto sustain thedome.


Auxiliary Solutions


Match Making

design

There can be little debate about the benefits of

the miniaturisation of electronics devices and

their ever-increasing functions, but they can give

designers headaches; when marketing

departments freeze the form factor and

specifications of the end-device, designers and

pc-board layout experts must deal with it, making

their jobs a balancing act. Once the core ICs

have been selected and placed on the board,

they must design basic, but essential, circuits for

impedance matching, ESD protection, line

termination, and filtering.

Traditionally achieved with discrete devices, new

integrated solutions offer significant space

savings compared to standard-size components

like 0402, 0201 or even 01005 Surface Mount

Packages (SMD). The right trade-off between

flexibility and overall space savings is critical.

Benefiting from their accrued in-depth application

knowledge, semiconductor companies have

developed products for many design cases that

don’t compromise performance or board space.

This space saving, won by integrating discrete

components into a single chip, is the result of

three factors. First, when integrating separate

components on a die, semiconductor engineers

can use a single bandgap to cover the complete

die. Second, mounting a component on a pc-

board leaves a gap – called pitch – between

nearby packages to evacuate solder excess,

avoiding the ‘tombstoning’ phenomenon or other

common assembly defects. Third,

interconnecting discrete components on a board

devours millimetres of metal lines and space-

consuming vias, while semiconductor engineers

can interconnect the discrete components on

silicon die with micrometers of metal lines. These

tiny interconnections created by the

semiconductor process contribute to decreasing

the overall space needed and

drastically reduce the undesired

parasitic effects of the metal lines

(parasitic resistor, inductor and

capacitor). Designers working on

EMI rejection know a low-parasitic

solution is crucial to avoiding

multiple design and layout iterations

and matching the specified pattern.

Integrating passive and active

components in a single package

additionally benefits the tolerance

range due to semiconductor

process control. Matching components

processed on the same die from the same wafer

is far easier than matching discrete components

manufactured separately. For instance, ESD

protection on differential high-speed lines (HDMI,

USB 3.0 …), matching the capacitance of the

differential lines is far easier to achieve when

using dual-line ESD protection (single package)

than two single-line ESD protection devices (two

separate packages from different lots). The use of

integrated passive and active devices simplifies

simulations and reduces the parameters involved

in corner-lot analysis. By replacing discrete

components with an off-the-shelf solution,

designers accelerate time-to-market with an

improved form factor and better performance.

As an example, STMicroelectronics’ ECMF02-

3HSM6 – Common-Mode Filter embedding ESD

protection – or BAL-SPI-01D3 - outsmarting

ultra-miniature balun, which integrates matching

network and harmonics filter — enables 50% to

80% space saving on the pc-board and perfectly

matches integrated components. Liberating the

constraints on pc-board size, these devices

speed up time-to-market and reduce both BOM

count and the cost of assembly. t


Auxiliary Solutions


The Logical Option

Configurable logic - also known as multi-function

logic - is a type of logic that can be configured to

deliver one of several different logic functions from

the same device. Two such devices can be

combined in a single package, resulting in improved

flexibility, reduced space, lower system cost,

improved inventory management, and fewer

qualification expenses during development.

Configurable logic is different from programmable

logic. With configurable logic, the function is not

achieved through programming. Instead, the

configuration of input pins connected to either of the

supply pins via the PCB layout determines the

particular logic function that will be provided. Neither

is configurable logic the same as combination logic.

Combination logic is one package with two or more

functions that can operate on their own or in

combination. By contrast, configurable logic is a

single package that can be configured to perform

nine or more different operations.

An example of configurable logic is NXP’s

74AUP1G57 which can perform any of several

standard functions including AND, NAND, OR,

NOR, XNOR, inverter, or buffer. It can also perform

non-standard combinations, such as a NAND gate

with one input inverted. The pin configuration

determines which logic function the device

performs, so the same device can be used to

perform multiple functions in a system. This makes it

possible to replace several discrete logic solutions

with a single device. The 74AUP1G57 is a single

configurable logic gate. Eight patterns of 3-bit input

determine the state of each output. All inputs can be

connected directly to VCC or GND. Figure 1 shows

some of the different standard and non-standard

configurations possible. Non-standard functions,

such as a 2-input NAND with one input inverted,

combine gates with inverters. This functionality can

be achieved in two ways, either with inputs B and C

or inputs C and A. NXP now also offers configurable

logic in dual formats. The innovative 74AUP2G57

integrates two 1G57 functions into a single 10-pin

package. This integration allows the configuration of

many different combinations of logic gates.

Dual configurable logic can be configured to

perform the same functions as combination logic,

and then some. For example, the 74AUP2G57 is

essentially the same as adding 49 combination logic

devices to the portfolio. If we include the dual-layout

options available with the non-standard functions,

the total is equivalent to 81 combination logic

products. All configurable logic products have

integrated Schmitt- trigger inputs as standard.

Schmitt-trigger inputs have hysteresis built into the

Configurable ICs delivering multiple logic

functions from the same device can save

space, reduce logistics and qualification

costs. by Michael Lyons, NXP

Semiconductors

Figure 1: Some of

the logic func-

tions possible

with the PCB-

configured logic

device

design


Auxiliary Solutions


switching threshold which allows the interface to

slowly changing analogue signals without risk of

false triggering or oscillation.

Inventory managementA primary benefit of configurable logic is the number

of Boolean functions it represents. In just about any

development effort, the inclusion of control logic

generally occurs near the end of the project. Only

after the key chip set decisions have been made

does it become clear which glue-logic functions are

required. In the past, to avoid delays in obtaining

samples of the correct function, a supply of all

standard functions must be maintained. With

configurable logic, one device represents several

standard and non- standard functions. Therefore,

the number of different devices required in stock can

be greatly reduced. The same approach can be

taken to reduce the total number of items on a bill of

materials, simplifying manufacturing logistics. It can

also be extended to component qualification: if

several functions are all configured from a single

device, only one component requires qualification.

Saving power is one of the major concerns facing

design engineers today. Designers are also looking to

increase performance, by adding features like

graphical user interfaces, wireless connectivity, and

longer battery life. NXP’s configurable logic is available

in the low-voltage CMOS (LVC) family, the advanced

ultra-low-power (AUP) family, and in the advanced,

extremely low-voltage and power (AXP) family. The

LVC family has a wide supply voltage range of 1.65 V

to 5.5 V. It is fully specified at supply nodes of 5.0, 3.3,

2.5, and down to 1.8 V. For power-sensitive

applications, the AUP family has a supply range of

1.1 V to 3.6 V. It is fully specified at supply nodes of

3.3, 2.5, 1.8, 1.5, and down to 1.2 V. For further

power savings, the AXP family has a supply range of

0.7 V to 2.75 V. It is fully specified at supply nodes of

2.5, 1.8, 1.5, 1.2, and down to 0.8 V.

Single-gate AUP and AXP

configurable logic have

a maximum static

current

dissipation of

0.9 μA and

0.6 μA

respectively.

They have

dynamic power-

dissipation

performance (CPD),

of 3.1 pF and 2.9 pF

respectively. These ratings show that AUP and AXP

are the lowest-power logic solutions in the industry.

Advanced packaging Another concern is reduced footprint, especially

for mobile and portable designs. Configurable

logic is available in a 10-pin TSSOP package, as

well as in smaller footprint, leadless 10-pin XSON

and XQFN packages. The XSON10 represents

an 89 % footprint reduction compared to the

leaded TSSOP10. This footprint reduction

increases flexibility in space-constrained layouts.

It also allows the use of smaller PCBs and the

potential cost reductions they enable.

By realising multiple functions within a single

package, configurable logic increases design

flexibility, reduces inventory cost, and enables

faster qualification in end-user applications. Now,

with NXP’s new dual PCB configurable logic

devices - single-package solutions each

containing two configurable logic devices -

engineers have an even greater degree of

freedom when it comes to finding a low-cost

way to use glue logic in a design. t

design

The Dual PCB Configurable Logic product line is the centrepiece in a design contest featuring products fromNXP Business Units, including Logic, Smart Analog, Load Switches, Protection and Filtering, Small SignalMosfets, Small Signal Diodes, and more. The Dual PCB Configurable Logic Contest will be this year’s entryin the 2015 Big I.D.E.A. (International Design Engineering Award) sponsored by NXP and Mouser. The con-test launched worldwide in January 2015 with huge cash and merchandise awards for the most creative designusing all the NXP products together in one application solution. The contest entails engineers navigating fromthe sign-up process, through an on-line schematic tool, to working with a demo board in the final submission.Prizes are awarded at every stage of the contest, so more engineers can qualify, regardless of how far theyprogress in the contest. www.thebigidea2015.com


Auxiliary Solutions


design

A pre-charge relay aimed

specifically at heavy-load

battery powered systems,

such as electric and hybrid

vehicles, has been developed

by Omron. It aims to reduce

very high inrush currents

typically experienced on start-

up, it achieves this by

switching on briefly to charge

the capacitors in the

controller and inverter circuits

through a current-limiting

resistor.

The G9EJ supports up to 25A

at 400VDC and features a

proprietary contact driving

system, as well as high

efficiency magnetics intended to limit arcs.

Omron claims the device is also one of the

smallest of its type, measuring 30mm by

27mm by 31mm and weighing around 50g. It

will form part of Omron’s portfolio of power

relays targeting electric vehicles, which switch

the in the full motor circuit once the pre-

charge phase is complete.

Component supplier, Astute Electronics, has

announced the availability of Postironic’s

Scorpion modular signal power connector family,

which are formed using modular tooling which

supports customer-

specific contact variants.

Contacts are able to carry

up to 60A, or 55A in the

low-profile version, while

offering a resistance as

low as 0.7mΩ for high-

conductivity contacts.

Contacts intended for

signals can carry 3A,

while creepage and

clearance regulations can

be accommodated

through blank module

options. Termination

options include board-to-

board, board-to-cable,

cable-to-cable and panel

mount and, in addition, a

wide variety of accessories is available including

ventilation slots in the connector housing, integral

blind mate and locking systems, as well as float

and panel mount clips.


Auxiliary Solutionsdesign

A new series of medium power film

capacitors from AVX, the FLA Series, has

been designed specifically for AC filtering in

power converters, UPS systems, and solar

and wind inverters. They feature ‘self-healing’

properties and an internal overpressure

disconnector. They also exhibit high ripple

current and extremely high dielectric strength

in operating temperatures spanning -40 to

+80°C. Unlike aluminium capacitors, the

polypropylene capacitors do not have a

catastrophic failure mode; as film capacitors

they simple experience a parametric loss of

capacitance of around 5% but continue to

operate.


Two new high power PIN diode switches from

Macom targeting RF, microwave and millimetre

wave applications operating over the 50MHz to

1GHz frequency range offer high Continuos

Wave and pulsed power operation. The

common-anode configuration of the MASW-

011040 and -011041, which should appeal to

developers of land mobile radio, are

manufactured using Macom’s hybrid

manufacturing process and offer high linearity,

broadband performance and low loss, according

to the company.

Their high level of integration should also deliver

savings in the order of 80% in terms of space, as

well as what are described as ‘significant’ cost

benefits at the BOM level.

Targeting mobile and consumer devices,

Cypress Semiconductor has introduced

what it believes is the industry’s

smallest USB 3.0 Hub Controller;

measuring just 6mm x 6mm. The EZ-

USB HX3 can be configured via I2C

eeprom or slave, or via GPIO, allowing

developed to configure the PHY drive

strength, number of downstream ports,

power switch polarity, LED indicators

and more. It also offers a ghost

charging mode for charging devices

without a host, as well as supporting

the USB-IF Battery Charging V1.2

specification. It’s also the first

SuperSpeed USB hub controller to offer

an Accessory Charger Adaptor Dock

(ACA-Dock) feature, says Cypress.


Auxiliary Solutions


design

The new Han M Plus range of

connectors from Harting incorporates

effective protection against extreme

environmental influences, through the

use of an additional polyurethane

coating which not only increases its

impact resistance but also protects it

from extreme mechanical and

chemical influences.

Harting believes this makes the

connector ideal for transportation,

maritime and mining applications, as

well as for use in the petrochemical

industry.

The coating will protect the connector

from rock chips, icing, salt mist, UV

radiation, industrial exhaust gases,

oils and fuels, says Harting.

Getting power to a board can always be a

challenge, so developers might be interested to

learn that Molex has increased its range of wire-

to-board connectors with the Nano-fit and

Ultra-Fit families. They address size and current

density, and pitch and row spacing, to deliver

more power per linear and square millimetre than

competitive products, says Molex. Nano-Fit

connectors offer a 2.5mm pitch rated at up to

4.0A; an effective PCB space saving of 69%,

while the Ultra-Fit mix a 3.5mm pitch with 12.0A

rated current; equal to a 20% saving. Both

families use the company’s Micro-Fit, Mini-Fit and

Mega-Fit connector systems.


Auxiliary Solutions


designFour new ultra-small photo relays

have been designed by Toshiba to

deal with the high frequency and high

voltage signals used in devices such

as semiconductor testers, medical

devices and probe cards. Comprised

of a photo MOSFET optically coupled

with an infrared LED, the entire

solution has been ‘squeezed’ in to a

VSON 4 package. As an alternative

to mechanical relays, photo relays

offer unique benefits but their appeal

means developers now need smaller

solutions, according to Toshiba. With

these latest devices, it believes its

customers can expect to see a 50%

reduction in assembly area and 60%

reduction in assembly volume.

The latest single-chip HDMI signal

conditioning and protection ICs from

STMicroelectronics have been designed

specifically for 4K ultra-HD data rates.

With integrated pull-up resistors and

ESD protection, it offers an increased

bandwidth of 10GHz, while a 10V

clamping voltage and 30ns response

time help prevent unwanted transients

from damaging the HDMI chips

themselves. ST says the integrated

solution can save as much as 80% of

the board space used by alternative

approaches using discrete components,

and its packaging has been optimised

for use in single- or two-layer PCBs.

A new range of low-profile gas discharge tube (GDT) surge

arrestors intended to protect small devices from potentially

harmful current spikes is now being stocked and distributed

by Mouser. Able to switch from very high resistance (over

1GΩ) to a virtually short-circuit in as little as 20μs in a disc-

like profile measuring 8mm in diameter and just 1.6mm thick

should make the Bourns 215 Series of devices applicable to

a range of new and emerging end-products. A GDT

operates by ionising the gas inside when a current spike

greater than its ‘sparkover’ value is experienced across its

terminals. The range is available with sparkover values of

90V, 150V, 230V and 350V.


ew15_210x297_Electronic_Specifier.indd 1 21.10.14 14:04

esd april 2014 - electronic specifier

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