8nm chip benchmarking Huawei-why Rockchip?

IoT chip manufacturers are probably the most extensive “circle of friends” among all chip factories.

Different from the high concentration of the mobile phone and computer markets, the Internet of Things market has countless fragmented areas. When ordinary items in the past want to “evolve” into smart terminals, the demand for embedded chips varies greatly, which makes the Internet of Things chips. It is difficult for a company to design a general-purpose chip, and it is easy to be out of touch with the market when designing it. At this time, cooperation with downstream customers has become an inevitable choice.

Recently, Rockchip and China Mobile jointly released two video IoT chips; Rockchip also cooperated with well-known domestic mobile phone customers to develop fast charging protocol chips. In addition to chips, Rockchip will also go deep into the terminal manufacturing process, such as launching an intelligent network hard disk video recorder (NVR) with Dahua.

For chip design manufacturers, whose circle of friends is wider, whose products are richer, the ceiling will be higher, and the explosive potential of future performance will be greater. Rockchip’s strategy of establishing cooperative relationships and digging deep into the moat is worth paying attention to.

Competitive advantages

High-end first, diversified application fields

In the ordinary development of the original tablet chip business, Rockchip began to shift its research and development focus to the field of Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, and launched smart application processor chips that can be used in robotics, smart home appliances, cash registers, smart access control and other fields. Realize the transformation from a single chip single application to a single chip multiple applications.

This change has allowed Rockchip to gain a firm foothold in the highly competitive market and its performance has soared. In 2020, the explosive growth of AIoT products, Rockchip achieved a revenue of 1.863 billion yuan, a record high; at the same time, gross profit margin and net profit margin reached historical highs, which were 40.78% and 17.17%, respectively, higher than The industry average is 38.32% and 11.99%. In the first three quarters of 2021, Rockchip achieved revenue of 2.057 billion yuan and net profit of 408 million yuan, both higher than the total of the previous year and once again exceeded market expectations.

Rockchip's intelligent application processor chips are all system-level ultra-large-scale digital integrated circuits, or SoCs. Speaking of domestic SoC, the first thing that comes to mind is HiSilicon's Kirin series, but the Kirin chip is a type of mobile phone chip, which is different from Rockchip's field. Rockchip microchips are mainly used in tablet computers, set-top boxes, Internet of Things, automobiles and other fields, and overlap with domestic Allwinner Technology, Jingchen shares, Fullhan Micro and other companies in the field of chips.

From the perspective of application field, Rockchip's application field is the widest. Allwinner's chips have not been used for PC and AI; Jingchen shares also does not involve PC, AI, and does not involve tablet computers; Fullhan Micro is mainly engaged in security, Internet of Things.

In terms of process technology, Rockchip’s process is leading, and the current advanced process has reached 8nm, while the chips of Allwinner Technology and Fullhan are at 22nm, and Jingchen shares are at 12nm.

At present, the 8nm RK3588 that Rockchip has developed and has completed tapeout can be applied to PC products, edge computing, cloud services, large-screen equipment, vision processing, 8K video processing and other fields, further expanding the company's business areas, and The peers widen the gap; its built-in NPU2.0 supports up to 6.0T floating-point computing capability, which greatly exceeds the performance of other domestic AI chips; it adopts the most advanced manufacturing process of the current domestic general SOC, which will make its power consumption lower than other chips in the same period .

The wider application of chips has a great impact. On the one hand, RK3588 can be applied to PC and cloud services. The domestic market in these downstream fields exceeds 100 billion yuan. In the past, foreign companies were monopolized. Domestic companies have few competitors. Behind this is a huge domestic substitute space.

On the other hand, RK3588 is currently the only competitive alternative on the market for Huawei HiSilicon's high-end security AI chip Hi3559AV100; at the same time, this is not a small issue for Fullhan, which is developing security AI chips and wants to make breakthroughs in high-end products. Threat.

Expand the circle of friends

Cooperation brings more funds, R&D strength, and a deeper understanding of the market

Just when people think that a single chip with multiple applications is the “ultimate home” of this type of chip company, Rockchip said that when the single product is large enough, the company will also consider custom chips. To make a flagship chip requires a very complete technology, and the company’s advantage lies in this, so it is not difficult to customize a chip for a single field, it is purely based on market demand.

The launch of the video IoT chip with China Mobile this time is the landing of the above viewpoint.

For China Mobile, Rockchip is not the only partner. The former teamed up with partners such as Fullhan Micro, Beijing Junzheng, and Guoke Micro to launch a total of 11 video IoT chips. These chips can give the carrier video calls, video intercom, video surveillance, smart speakers, video conferencing, home control, smart identification and other functions. It solves the end-side problems of cross-platform interaction of video IoT terminals, high cost, slow business iteration, and high energy consumption. In addition, it meets the requirements of telecommunication level in terms of communication.

The video IoT chip alone has brought in a bunch of partners, with a wide variety of functions. It is foreseeable that with the development of the Internet of Things, this situation will become more common. Because in the emerging and treasured land of the Internet of Things, countless players have poured in. They all hope to show their differentiated advantages to gain the favor of customers, and differentiated advantages need to be achieved through differentiated chips. Realization, which brings a variety of customization requirements.

But for chip companies like Rockchip, it is risky to meet customized needs, especially the “input-output ratio” may not be ideal.

Still taking these 11 chips of China Mobile as an example, we can see that the video IoT chip China Mobile wants is not simple and low-end, and can be perfunctory with existing chips. It proposes more functions and performance. Such customization often means higher R&D investment, IP and tape-out costs.

However, while investing in R&D personnel and funds, the scope of application of customized products is narrower, and the market space may also be narrowed to 1/10 or less of general-purpose chips, resulting in reduced shipments and lower total profits. Custom chips do not seem economical.

With the smartness of IoT chip companies, it is obvious that they do not have the motivation to make custom chips by themselves. At present, the more popular is the cooperative development model, that is, joint research and development with terminal companies. The latter also needs to pay for it. And this model is also an important means to break the bottleneck of the popularization of IoT chips.

Therefore, the size of the “friend circle” has become one of the optional indicators for investors to observe IoT chip companies. On the one hand, cooperating to develop chips means that the company's R&D capabilities are recognized, partners are willing to invest more funds and R&D efforts, and they also have high expectations for product creation. It can be said that new partners represent new revenue. Growth points; on the other hand, for IoT chip companies, more cooperation means cutting into more downstream areas and gaining more opportunities to be close to the market. This accumulated deep understanding of the market will become The core competitiveness of chip companies.

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TSMC’s November revenue exceeded 34 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 18.7%

On December 10, TSMC announced its November 2021 revenue report. Consolidated revenue in November was approximately NT$148.2 billion (approximately RMB 34 billion), an increase of 10.2% month-on-month and an increase of 18.7% year-on-year. This month’s revenue was the highest in the same period in the previous year and the third highest in the history of a single month’s revenue.

In the morning, foreign media reported that Intel CEO Kissinger will have talks with TSMC executives. The report pointed out that the relationship between the two is very delicate at present. Intel not only needs TSMC's advanced manufacturing services, but also plans to compete with TSMC in the foundry business. This is a difficult balance for Kissinger.

Kissinger said earlier that overseas manufacturers, such as TSMC and Samsung Electronics, have plans to build factories in the United States. He believes that the two should not receive funds from related US bills, which are currently being discussed in Washington. (Over trip)

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Mouser launches Analog Devices low-power AD4021 and AD4022 differential SAR ADCs

July 7, 2020-Focus on the introduction of new products and provide a large inventory of Electronic components distributor Mouser Electronics (Mouser Electronics) is now on sale of Analog Devices, Inc. AD4021 and AD4022 differential successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital conversion器(ADC). The 20-bit AD4021/AD4022 ADC is pin-compatible with the AD4020 SAR ADC, which can help engineers accurately capture high-frequency signals and use oversampling techniques to solve the challenges related to anti-aliasing filter design.

Analog Devices AD4021 and AD4022 supplied by Mouser Electronics are high-precision, high-speed, low-power ADCs with Easy Drive function, which can reduce signal chain complexity and power consumption, and increase channel density. The SPI-compatible serial user interface uses an independent VIO logic power supply and is compatible with 1.8V, 2.5V, 3V and 5V logic. The input current can be reduced to 0.5uA/MSPS as low as possible. Coupled with a longer signal acquisition phase, there is no need for a dedicated ADC driver in many cases.

AD4021 and AD4022 ADC are ideal choices for applications such as automatic test equipment, machine automation, medical equipment, instrumentation and control systems.

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Application note on NX5P/NX18P3001 bidirectional high-end power switch

“This document is an application note for NX5P / NX18P3001 bidirectional high-end power switch, suitable for charger and USB-OTG combination applications. It introduces the failure mode and impact analysis (FMEA) of the device pins of NX5P/NX18P3001.

“

This document is an application note for NX5P / NX18P3001 bidirectional high-end power switch, suitable for charger and USB-OTG combination applications. It introduces the failure mode and impact analysis (FMEA) of the device pins of NX5P/NX18P3001.

introduce

NX5P / NX18P3001 is an advanced two-way power switch and ESD protection device, suitable for USB-OTG and charger port combination applications. It includes undervoltage lockout, overvoltage lockout and overheat protection circuits, which are designed to automatically isolate the power switch terminals in the event of a fault condition.

The device has two power switch input/output terminals (VBUSI and VBUSO), an open-drain acknowledge output (ACK), and an enable input, which includes logic level conversion (EN) and low capacitance transient voltage suppression (TVS) ) Type ESD clamp circuit, used for USB data and ID pins.

When EN is set to a high level, the device enters a low-power mode, thereby disabling all protection circuits. When used in a charger and USB-OTG combination application, the VBUSI switch terminal, which can withstand a voltage of 30 V, is used as a power supply and switch input during charging. For USB-OTG, the VBUSO switch terminal is used as power supply and switch input.

Designed for operating voltages from 3.2 V to 6.35 V (17.5 V for NX18P3001), it is used for battery charging and power domain isolation applications to reduce power consumption and extend battery life.

Pin FMEA

This chapter provides FMEA (failure mode and impact analysis) under typical fault conditions. When the pins of the bidirectional high-end power switch of the charger and USB-OTG combination application series are short-circuited to provide IO, GND or neighbor pins, or only remain Down to open.

A single fault is classified according to its corresponding impact on equipment and functions. Refer to Table 1 on Figure 2.

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Design of using ESD diodes as voltage clamps in front-end amplifiers

“The internal ESD diodes of front-end amplifiers are sometimes used to clamp overvoltage conditions, but many factors need to be considered to ensure that these clamps can provide adequate and strong protection. Understanding the various ESD diode architectures inside the front-end amplifier, as well as understanding the thermal and electromigration effects of a given protection circuit, can help designers avoid problems with their protection circuits and increase their service life in field applications.

“

In many applications where the input is not controlled by the system but is connected to the outside world, such as test equipment, instrumentation and some sensing equipment, the input voltage may exceed the ZD rated voltage of the front-end amplifier. In these applications, protection schemes must be implemented to maintain the viability and robustness of the design.

The internal ESD diodes of front-end amplifiers are sometimes used to clamp overvoltage conditions, but many factors need to be considered to ensure that these clamps can provide adequate and strong protection. Understanding the various ESD diode architectures inside the front-end amplifier, as well as understanding the thermal and electromigration effects of a given protection circuit, can help designers avoid problems with their protection circuits and increase their service life in field applications.

ESD diode configuration

It is important to understand that not all ESD diodes are simple diode clamps connected to power and ground. Many possible implementations can be used, such as multiple diodes in series, diodes and resistors, and back-to-back diodes. Some of the more common implementations are detailed below.

The diode is connected to the power supply

Figure 1 shows an example of an amplifier with a diode connected between the input pin and the power supply. The diode is reverse-biased under normal operating conditions, but becomes forward-biased when the input rises above the positive supply voltage or below the negative supply voltage. When the diode is forward biased, current flows through the input of the amplifier to the corresponding power supply.

In the case of the circuit in Figure 1, when the overvoltage exceeds Vs, the input current itself will not be limited by the amplifier itself, and an external current limit in the form of a series resistor is required. When the voltage is lower than CVs, a 400Ω resistor will provide some current limit, which should be taken into account in any design considerations.

Figure 1: Input ESD topology of AD8221

Figure 2 shows an amplifier with a diode-like configuration, but in this case, the current is limited by the internal 2.2kΩ series resistance. This is different from the circuit shown in Figure 1 not only in limiting the value of R, but also in that 2.2kΩ prevents the voltage from being higher than Vs. This is an example of the complexity that must be fully understood when using ESD diodes to optimize protection.

Figure 2: Input ESD topology of AD8250

Current limiting JFET

Compared with the implementation in Figure 1 and Figure 2, the current-limiting JFET can be used as an alternative to diode clamping in IC design. Figure 3 shows an example where JFET is used to protect the device when the input voltage exceeds the specified operating range of the device. The device obtains inherent protection of up to 40V from the opposite power rail through the JFET input. Because the JFET limits the current into the input pins, the ESD unit cannot be used as an additional overvoltage protection.

When voltage protection up to 40V is required, the device’s JFET protection provides a well-controlled, reliable, and fully specified protection option. This is often in contrast to the use of ESD diodes for protection, where information about diode current limits is usually specified as typical information, or may not be specified at all.

Figure 3: Input protection scheme of AD8226

Diode stack

In applications that allow the input voltage to exceed the supply voltage or ground, a set of diodes can be used to protect the input from ESD events. Figure 4 shows an amplifier implementing a stacked diode protection scheme. In this configuration, the diode string is used to prevent negative transients. The diode string is used to limit the leakage current within the usable input range, but to provide protection when the negative common mode range is exceeded. Remember, the current limit of WY is the equivalent series resistance of the diode string. External series resistors can be used to reduce the input current for a given voltage level.

Figure 4: Low-side input protection scheme of AD8417

Back-to-back diode

When the input voltage range is allowed to exceed the power supply, back-to-back diodes are also used. Figure 4 shows an amplifier that uses back-to-back diodes to provide ESD protection for the device, which allows the use of a 3.3V power supply to provide voltages up to 70V. D4 and D5 are high voltage diodes, used to isolate the high voltage that may exist on the input pins, and D1 and D2 are used to prevent leakage current when the input voltage is within the normal operating range. In this configuration, it is not recommended to use these ESD units for overvoltage protection, because exceeding the ZD reverse bias of the high voltage diode can easily cause YJ damage.

No ESD clamp

Some devices do not include ESD devices on the front end. Although it is obvious that if the ESD diode does not exist, the designer cannot use the ESD diode for clamping, but when studying the over-voltage protection (OVP) option, it is mentioned that this architecture is a situation that needs attention.Figure 6 shows a device that uses only large value resistors to protect the amplifier

ESD unit as a fixture

In addition to understanding how to implement ESD cells, it is also important to understand how to use structures for protection. In typical applications, series resistors are used to limit the current within a specified voltage range.

When the amplifier is configured as shown in Figure 7 or the input is protected by a power diode, the input current will be limited using the formula in the following formula.

The assumption used in Equation 1 is Vstress>Vsupply. If this is not the case, you should measure a more JQ diode voltage and use it in the calculation instead of the 0.7V approximation.

Below is a calculation example to protect an amplifier using a /-15V power supply from input stress up to /-120V, while limiting the input current to 1mA. Using Equation 1, we can use these inputs to calculate the following.

In view of these requirements, Rprotection >105 kΩ will limit the diode current to understand the current limit

The ZD value of Idiode will vary from part to part and also depends on the specific application scenario where the stress is applied. For YC events that last a few milliseconds, the ZD current will be different from the situation where current is continuously applied throughout the life cycle of the application’s mission profile for more than 20 years. Guidance on specific values ​​can be found in the JDZD value section or in the amplifier data sheet of the application note, usually in the range of 1mA -10mA.

Failure mode

The ZD rated current Z of a given protection scheme will eventually be limited by two factors, the thermal effect of the power dissipated in the diode and the ZD rated current of the current path. The power consumption should be kept below a threshold to keep the operating temperature within the effective range, and the current should be selected within the specified ZD value to avoid reliability problems due to electromigration.

Thermal influence

When current flows into the ESD diode, the temperature rises due to the power dissipation in the diode. Most amplifier data sheets specify a thermal resistance (usually designated? JA), which will indicate how the junction temperature increases with power dissipation. Considering the application temperature under the Z-bad situation, and the temperature increase in the Z-bad situation due to power consumption, will show the feasibility of the protection circuit.

Electromigration

Even if the current does not cause thermal problems, the diode current can still cause reliability problems. Due to electromigration, any electrical signal path has a ZD lifetime current rating. The electromigration current limit of the diode current path is usually limited by the thickness of the internal trace in series with the diode. This information is not always released for amplifiers, but if the diode is active for a long time, rather than a transient event, it needs to be considered.

An example where electromigration can be a problem is when the amplifier is monitoring and therefore connected to a voltage rail independent of its own power supply rail. When there are multiple power domains, power sequencing may cause the voltage to temporarily exceed the JDZD condition. By considering the current path under Z bad conditions, the duration that the current may be active during the entire life cycle, and understanding the ZD allowable current of electromigration, reliability problems caused by electromigration can be avoided.

in conclusion

Understanding how the amplifier’s internal ESD diode is activated during an electrical overload event can simply improve the robustness of the design. Examining the thermal and electromigration effects of the protection circuit can highlight potential problems and point out areas where additional protection may be needed. Considering the conditions listed here, designers can make wise choices and avoid potential robustness issues in the field.

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400G Data Center: Densification and Regional Interconnection Architecture

“Higher bandwidth and capacity requirements are driving more and more fiber optic deployments. Fifteen years ago, most optical fiber backbone networks in data centers had no more than 96 fiber cores and covered various redundant routes. Today, the number of fiber optic cores is generally 144, 288, and 864. Interconnect cables and cables used in ultra-large-scale and large-scale cloud data centers are migrating to 3,456 fiber bundles. Some optical fiber manufacturers now also provide 6,912-core optical cables, and 7,776-core optical fibers are also available.

“

Wu Jian, Technical Director, North Asia, CommScope

Higher bandwidth and capacity requirements are driving more and more fiber optic deployments. Fifteen years ago, most optical fiber backbone networks in data centers had no more than 96 fiber cores and covered various redundant routes. Today, the number of fiber optic cores is generally 144, 288, and 864. Interconnect cables and cables used in ultra-large-scale and large-scale cloud data centers are migrating to 3,456 fiber bundles. Some optical fiber manufacturers now also provide 6,912-core optical cables, and 7,776-core optical fibers are also available.

New optical cable structure design realizes density increase

Cables with a large number of fiber cores occupy valuable space in the pipeline. Due to the limited bending radius, larger cable diameters will bring performance challenges. In order to solve these problems, cable manufacturers are moving towards a crimpable ribbon structure and 200-micron optical fiber. The traditional ribbon fiber has a 12-core fiber bundle in the entire cable, while the crimpable ribbon fiber is that the parallel fibers are intermittently bonded together, so that they can be crimped and do not need to be laid flat. On average, this type of design can accommodate 3,456 fiber bundles in a two-inch pipe, and if a flat fiber structure is used in the same space, only 1,728 fiber bundles can be accommodated.

The 200-micron fiber retains the standard 125-micron cladding and is fully compatible with current and emerging optical devices. The difference is that the typical 250-micron coating is reduced to 200 microns. When used with a crimpable ribbon fiber, because the fiber diameter becomes smaller, the cable equipment manufacturer can maintain the same size of the cable, and the number of fibers can be doubled compared to the traditional 250-micron flat ribbon cable.

Hyperscale data centers have deployed technologies such as crimpable ribbon fiber and 200-micron fiber to meet the growing demand for connectivity between data centers. In the data center, the connection distance between the LEAF switch and the server is much shorter and the density is higher. The main consideration is the investment and operating cost of the optical module. Therefore, many data centers have been using low-cost vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) transceivers based on multimode fiber. Others adopt a mashup approach, that is, single-mode is used in the upper SPINE mesh network layer, and the server is connected to the first-layer leaf (LEAF) switch through multi-mode. As more and more devices adopt 400GE, and 50G and 100G fiber connections with servers become the standard, network administrators will need to use these methods to weigh cost and performance.

80 km of DCI space: coherent light technology and direct detection technology

As the trend toward regional data center clusters continues, the demand for large-capacity and low-cost data center interconnect (DCI) links has become increasingly prominent. The new IEEE standard provides a variety of low-cost ways to provide plug-and-play point-to-point deployment. The transceiver used for direct detection is based on traditional PAM4 (four-level pulse amplitude modulation) and will be able to provide a link up to 40 km, while being directly compatible with the latest 400G data center switches. In addition, there are other developments aimed at similar functions of traditional DWDM transmission links.

As the link distance increases from 40km to 80km or more, the coherent optical system can provide stronger support for long-distance transmission and is expected to occupy most of the high-speed communication market. Coherent optics overcome limitations such as chromatic dispersion and polarization dispersion, making it an ideal technology choice for longer links. Traditionally, coherent optical devices are highly customized (and expensive), so a customized “modem” is required, which is the opposite of plug-and-play optical modules. With the advancement of technology, the size of coherent optical solutions is expected to be reduced, and deployment costs are expected to decrease. Ultimately, the relative cost difference may be reduced to the extent that shorter links can benefit from the development of the technology.

Overall control and continuous migration to high-speed

The data center’s progress towards higher speed needs to be carried out in an orderly manner. As applications and services evolve, the speed of storage and servers must also increase. Using a modular approach to handle repetitive and regular upgrades helps reduce the time and cost required to plan and implement changes. We recommend a holistic approach, in which switches, optical devices and fiber optic cabling should be used as a coordinated transmission path. Ultimately, how all these components work together will determine the network’s ability to provide reliable and effective support for new and future applications. The challenge today is 400G, and the future will be 800G and 1.6T. Although network technology is constantly changing, the basic requirements for high-quality fiber optic infrastructure will continue.

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Operators accelerate the large-scale deployment of NB-IoT, and the IoT market prospects are becoming broader

On another track of network communication, Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB-IoT) is also attracting attention as 5G. As an emerging technology in the field of Internet of Things, NB-IoT is also known as low-power wide area network (LPWAN), which supports the cellular data connection of low-power devices in the wide-area network, with super coverage, super low power consumption, super low cost, Features such as large connections have prompted NB-IoT technology to be favored by telecom operators and major industry chain companies.

As NB-IoT is included in the 5G standard, it is regarded as the best opportunity to accelerate the implementation of the Internet of Things with its unique advantages, and the industrialization development will also enter a new stage. At present, the number of domestic NB-IoT connected devices has exceeded 100 million, and there have been new advances in technology. NB-IoT will continue to evolve with 5G standards and form synergy with other 5G standards to ensure that the terminals of industry chain enterprises can meet the continuous changes in the market and be compatible with previous-generation products.

Recently, MediaTek and China Mobile jointly conducted a multi-carrier enhancement pilot verification of the NB-IoT R14 standard under the existing Beijing network, and took the lead in completing the large-capacity test of concurrent FOTA services for 100 terminals under three carriers, further verifying the higher transmission rate and higher transmission rate. Low-latency business satisfaction. With the large-scale deployment of NB-IoT, multi-carrier enhancement technology will improve cell capacity and throughput performance. Combined with China Mobile's entire network that has enabled NB-IoT R14 rate enhancement and power optimization RAI functions, it will better support large Concurrent capacity application scenarios promote the broader market development prospects of NB-IoT.

This joint test is based on the MediaTek MT2625 commercial module. In this test environment, a 300KB download of the FOTA file is taken as an example. In an excellent point, the three-carrier can achieve 100 terminals to complete the service in an average of 8 minutes (under the same conditions, single carrier) Able to achieve about 30 terminal services). The NB-IoT three-carrier cell reaches approximately 3.3 times the service capacity of a single-carrier cell, which can effectively support the subsequent large concurrent services of the narrowband mobile Internet of Things.

In the NB-IoT market, many manufacturers have also handed in a good report card, which has played a role in promoting the popularization of NB-IoT technology. For example, Tuya Smart has developed three NB-IoT modules, NM1, NM1-CT and NM1-GL based on MediaTek's MT2625 NB-IoT chip, and based on the modules developed outdoor intelligence including street light controllers, fire hydrant detection and municipal manhole covers. The equipment can realize real-time remote control of street lights and detect the status of outdoor intelligent equipment such as fire hydrants and manhole covers.

GosuncnWelink also developed the ME3616 module based on the MediaTek MT2625 NB-IoT chip, which has a small size, full frequency band, full certification, high reliability, wide voltage and other performance. It is extremely competitive in the industry and has achieved large-scale commercial use in industries such as smart gas meters, smart water meters, security monitoring, asset tracking, and wearables.

NB-IoT is bound to open a new chapter for the Internet of Things. MediaTek's NB-IoT chip has high integration and dual-mode advantages, and has a complete IoT software and hardware development platform, which can be applied to various NB-IoT terminals. MediaTek and China Mobile have worked closely in the NB-IoT field. They have launched NB-IoT universal modules, one-stop solutions, and completed R14 rate enhancement tests, which not only brings innovation and opportunities to vertical industries, but also jointly promotes the IoT industry Accelerated development.

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The solution to the problem of the design of the hardware and software interface between the single-chip computer and the mobile phone

“Almost all mobile phones currently on the market have data export, and basically support AT control commands (GSM-SMS-AT commands) related to GSM short messages. External output data. Theoretically speaking, the hardware interface is completed by finding out the corresponding connections between the RxD, TxD and GND pins in the data port and the serial port of the microcontroller.

“

Author: Li Yanhua, Chen Huiming

Because of the wide coverage of the wireless network of mobile phones and stable and reliable performance in information transmission, the mobile phone is used as the carrier of information transmission and combined with the microcontroller to form an application system with strong vitality and broad application space, especially in remote data Fields such as transmission and remote monitoring are even more concerned by Electronic design application engineers. Some professional publications also introduce some articles on this aspect. However, due to the complicated control instructions of mobile phones and the cumbersome data format, engineers and technicians often encounter many difficulties when designing the hardware and software interface between the MCU and the mobile phone, and sometimes there is no information. Can be checked. In the process of completing the development of a project, a large number of tests and experiments were carried out on several mobile phones, and some conclusions with regularity were concluded on this basis. This conclusion can be used by engineering designers, which greatly shortens the research and development. Cycle, now publish it, and would like to share it with the majority of electronic designers.

1 Hardware interface technology

Almost all mobile phones currently on the market have data export, and basically support AT control commands (GSM-SMS-AT commands) related to GSM short messages. External output data. Theoretically speaking, the hardware interface is completed by finding out the corresponding connections between the RxD, TxD and GND pins in the data port and the serial port of the microcontroller.

However, in fact, due to different brands, the RxD, TxD, and GND pins of different models of mobile phones are not the same. Sometimes it is not easy to find these three wires; besides, the level of the data port of the mobile phone is neither RS232 level nor TTL level. It is not directly connected to the serial port of the MCU powered by 5V. The simplest and most reliable method is to use the data cable of the mobile phone to establish the hardware connection between the MCU and the mobile phone. The mobile phone data line is specially designed to connect to the 9-pin serial port of the PC. The signal level is the standard RS232 level. As long as the serial port of the single-chip microcomputer is also converted to the Rs 2 3 2 level, it can be easily connected. The 9-pin serial port pin definition is fixed, that is, pin 2 is TxD (mobile phone sending), pin 3 is RxD (mobile phone receiving), and pin 5 is GND. In this way, no matter what type of mobile phone is connected to the single-chip microcomputer, it becomes a fixed connection, and there is no need to know the specific definition of the mobile phone data port signal. The connection circuit between the two through the data line is shown in Figure 1.

It should be noted that the power supply mode of the internal level conversion chip of different mobile phone data lines is different, some are directly powered by the mobile phone; some are stealing some pins of the PC serial port (usually 4, 6, 7, 8 pins) The current is provided after internal rectification, filtering, and stabilization. The method of judgment is to plug one end of the data cable into the data port of the mobile phone, and measure the voltage between pins 2 and 5 at the other end. If there is a voltage of about 7V, it is the former, and if the voltage cannot be measured, it is the latter. The latter requires the microcontroller to provide a +5V voltage for any of the 4, 6, 7, and 8 pins, as shown by the dotted line in Figure 1.

2 Software interface technology and control principle

The software interface between the single-chip microcomputer and the mobile phone is actually the control technology of the single-chip microcomputer controlling the mobile phone through AT commands related to GSM short messages, such as reading the content of the short message of the mobile phone, deleting the content of the short message, and listing the unread short messages in the mobile phone. For the description of the function of the AT command, please refer to the content of the reference[1, 2]which will not be repeated here. However, executing an instruction is not as simple as described in some materials. In fact, the execution of the instructions requires the interactive response between the microcontroller and the mobile phone. There are strict regulations on the number of bytes sent or received each time, and the two must implement data exchange according to these regulations. Otherwise, the communication will fail. After repeated tests on several mobile phones, the author summed up some rules, as listed in Table 1.

Several issues are explained as follows.

①All AT commands’ command symbols, constants, PDu data packets, etc. are transmitted in the form of ASCII encoding. For example, the ASCII encoding of “A” is 41H, the AscII encoding of “T” is 54H, and the number “0,,” is AsCII encoding. For 30H and so on.

②The single-chip microcomputer controls the work of the mobile phone, and the short message working mode of the mobile phone must be set to the PDu format, which is completed by the command AT+cMGF=O.

③After the single-chip microcomputer sends each instruction to the mobile phone, the carriage return character must be used as the end of the instruction, and the ASCII code of the carriage return is 0DH. For example, when the MCU sends the command “AT+CMGF=0” to the mobile phone, the ASCII code sequence is “41H, 54H, 2BH, 42H, 4DH, 47H, 46H, 3DH, 30H, 0DH”, and the last byte 0DH is The carriage return character means the end of this instruction. If there is no carriage return character, the mobile phone will not recognize this instruction.

④ When the mobile phone receives a complete AT command, the mobile phone does not execute this command immediately, but first sends out all the ASCII code sequences of the AT command just received (including 0DH), and then sends a carriage return The ASCII code of the character and the newline character, that is, 0DH and 0AH, and finally execute the instruction.

⑤When the mobile phone transmits the content of the short message to the single chip microcomputer, the content of its PDu data packet is the data expressed in hexadecimal, but it does not directly transmit the hexadecimal data to the single chip, but still puts each bit of hexadecimal The number is sent in AscII code. In this way, a two-byte hexadecimal number becomes a 4-byte ASCII code. However, the data byte length in the PDU data packet is still the actual byte length, not the byte length of the AscII code. This should be paid special attention to during programming, otherwise, the received data will be incomplete. After the one-chip computer receives the PDU data packet data, it must be restored to hexadecimal data, the algorithm is as follows: let a be the received ASCII code, b is the converted hexadecimal number. If a39H, then b=a-30H-07H, and finally merge the two numbers into one byte.

⑥ The number of bytes of the PDU data packet that the mobile phone responds to the microcontroller does not include the first 9 bytes of data (the address of the SMS service center), but when the PDU data packet is transmitted to the microcontroller, it includes these 9 bytes of data. For example, if the length of the PDU data that the mobile phone responds to is 50, and the hexadecimal data actually sent to the microcontroller is 59 bytes, and the ASCII code is 2×59 bytes, the microcontroller must receive the PDU data in 2×59 bytes. .

3 Application examples

A project was developed using the above-mentioned principles and interface technology: a highway Display and guidance system. The LED display installed on the highway displays the traffic situation and weather conditions of the road ahead in real time, reminding and guiding the driver to drive correctly.

The use of this system has eliminated many hidden dangers of traffic accidents to a certain extent, thus ensuring the smooth flow of roads and the safety of people’s lives and property. The system consists of a control center and several display screens. The control center sends the latest information to each display screen in real time. To construct the communication link between the control center and the display terminal, the traditional method is either to lay the optical cable and realize it in a wired way, or to construct a dedicated wireless network to realize it in a wireless way. Because of the particularity of the highway, the distance between the control center and the display terminal is usually very long, and both schemes must invest a lot of money and huge construction workload. If the GSM public wireless transmission network is adopted, and the control center sends the display information to the display terminal in the form of short messages, it has many advantages such as small investment, convenient construction, reliable work, and low operating cost.

In the control center, the microcomputer edits the short message and sends it out through the carrier of the mobile phone. In the display terminal, the single-chip microcomputer displays it on the LED display screen by reading the short message of the mobile phone. The core technology of the project is the interface between the MCU and the mobile phone and the Chinese character information encoding in the PDU data packet. Because the Chinese character in the short message is only a code, the SCM application system changes the code into Chinese character dot matrix data, and a Chinese character library must be configured. According to the GSM07.05 agreement, the Chinese characters in the short message are encoded as Unicode. If a Unicode-encoded Chinese character library is constructed, it is indeed a tedious task. Therefore, the following two technical measures are adopted when designing the single-chip application system.

①The font library configured by the single-chip microcomputer system is a GB-2312-encoded Chinese character library, that is, a location code Chinese character library, which can be downloaded for free on the Internet and can be cured into the Flash memory chip. Of course, the prerequisite for this is that the Chinese character encoding in the PDU data packet must be the Chinese character internal code rather than the Unicode encoding.

②When the control center edits the PDU data packet data, it adopts a self-defined data method. Among them, the data representing Chinese characters can be directly taken from the machine internal code of the Chinese character, which eliminates the pain of converting the machine internal code to Unicode. Practice has proved that this is feasible.

The advantages of adopting the above technical measures are that one is that the mutual conversion of the two codes is eliminated; the other is that the confidentiality of the data is ensured, and the users in the system cannot receive it, even if it is received, it cannot be displayed.

After the project was successfully developed and put into use, because the display terminal only received but not sent, there was almost no operating cost. The sending end (control center) can be rented monthly, and operating costs can be reduced to a minimum. Therefore, the project has received satisfactory evaluation from users.

The Links:   KCS3224ASTT-X9   CM300DY-12HE

Power management design tips: back to the future, how will power electronic products change

“I started working at Texas Instruments (TI) in 2002; since then, the overall power electronics market has more than quadrupled, with a compound annual growth rate of about 8%. This huge growth has benefited from some amazing advances in the power supply field.

“

Robert Taylor is an applications manager for Texas Instruments.

I started working at Texas Instruments (TI) in 2002; since then, the overall power electronics market has more than quadrupled, with a compound annual growth rate of about 8%. This huge growth has benefited from some amazing advances in the power supply field.

In this article, I will review topics that seemed almost impossible to achieve in 2002. For example, one of my first projects is a two-phase converter for low-voltage high-current processor applications: input voltage is 12 V, output is 1 V, current is 40 A, power levels are both 250 kHz, and output ripple Is 500 kHz. I remember that because the voltage was too low, it was impossible to test the power supply with a traditional Electronic load. In order to quickly complete some tests, I used a 1-meter copper strap to achieve the equivalent resistance of the loaded power supply. When I turned on the power, the copper ring was actually twisted due to the electric field.

The latest specification provided by our team for this type of power supply is: 1 V at 550 A! The design uses a 12-phase power supply, with advanced current sharing and transient response technology. We now have a complete set of test benches equipped with special test equipment. As consumer demand for the Internet and the cloud increases, application-specific processors are becoming more and more power hungry.

Another exciting technological advancement is the increase in the use of wide band gap devices, such as gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC). GaN and SiC have been around for some time, but in 2002 they were neither reliable nor cost-effective and could not be used for commercial purposes. Both of these technologies can significantly increase power density and switching speed. Figure 1 shows a 1 kW power factor correction (PFC) power supply, which can reach 156 W per cubic inch-twice that of super junction silicon chips and ten times that of 10 years ago.

Figure 1 A 99% efficient 1kW GaN-based continuous current mode (CCM) totem pole power factor correction (PFC) converter reference design using a 1 kW universal AC input power supply

Automotive applications are increasing the demand for internal power supplies and electronic equipment in vehicles. In 2002, it was only a dream to be able to switch the power supply above the AM radio frequency band (2.2 MHz). In 2018, not only can we switch on the AM band, but we can switch in a smaller and more efficient way. Some of Texas Instruments’ latest integrated field effect transistor (FET) converters have switching frequencies higher than 6 MHz. Advances in semiconductor technology and packaging have made these improvements possible. Figure 2 shows how the power density of an integrated FET converter expands in typical linear bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (BiCMOS) technology as feature size decreases.

Semiconductor packaging also plays an important role in shrinking size and higher frequency switching. The parasitic loss in the package can limit the reasonable switching speed of the switching power supply. The typical package previously used single bond wires to connect silicon to the lead frame pins. Now we can directly connect the copper metal layer to the package or printed circuit board. This type of package can reduce parasitic inductance and stray capacitance, thereby achieving better Fast conversion time. At the same time, thermal management has also been improved, which is important when increasing power density.

Figure 2 Development of typical linear BiCMOS technology

Notebook adapters (external adapters) are usually called “bricks”. I looked for it, found one, and decided to weigh it-up to 1.35 pounds! Figure 3 compares the dimensions of the 2002 notebook adapter (1.35 pounds) and the 2018 notebook adapter (0.39 pounds) with real bricks (3.25 pounds). Over time, the reduction in size is amazing.

Figure 3 Comparison of notebook adapter sizes

By increasing efficiency, increasing switching frequency and improving thermal management, size can be reduced. But without technological breakthroughs, it is difficult to achieve all three improvements:

・ Resonant topologies, such as active clamp flyback and inductance, inductance and capacitance.

・ Multi-level converter.

・ Wide band gap devices such as GaN and SiC.

・ Secondary rectification and resonance.

The power density of the 2002 power adapter is about 5 W/in³. Although impressive at the time, if the size is smaller, it can be easily carried when traveling. Figure 4 shows the growth of adapter power density in the past few years. These measurements relate to commercially available 65-W adapters.

Figure 4 65-W adapter size and power density improvement

I am excited about the changes and improvements in the power supply industry over the past few years. The situation is very optimistic now, although I can not predict whether they will get better, but it is worth waiting for us.

About the Author:

Robert Taylor is an applications manager for Texas Instruments.

The Links:   QM10TE-HB   MG100J6ES52   IGBTMODULE

Accelerate the construction of a domain-based IVI architecture to realize an automotive safety system that meets ASIL-D

“Today’s cars have increasingly higher requirements for fast storage and processing of massive amounts of data. Automobile manufacturers have been facing pressures such as integrating processing capabilities, ensuring the smooth operation of digital systems, and cost competition. And now, unexpected new trends have emerged. In-vehicle infotainment (IVI, in-vehicle infotainment) system, its fascinating high-resolution screen and functions are more and more like smart phones, and its functions are no longer just for entertainment. Designers integrate the in-vehicle infotainment system with the dashboard to achieve a more critical system that meets the functional safety requirements.

“

Author: Michael Burk, Chief Architect of Automotive Infotainment System, Micron Automotive Division

Today’s cars have increasingly higher requirements for fast storage and processing of massive amounts of data. Automobile manufacturers have been facing pressures such as integrating processing capabilities, ensuring the smooth operation of digital systems, and cost competition. And now, unexpected new trends have emerged. In-vehicle infotainment (IVI, in-vehicle infotainment) system, its fascinating high-resolution screen and functions are more and more like smart phones, and its functions are no longer just for entertainment. Designers integrate the in-vehicle infotainment system with the dashboard to achieve a more critical system that meets the functional safety requirements.

With the advent of digital dashboards, new requirements for graphics processing have been created. To meet these requirements, the in-vehicle infotainment system architecture and dashboard are integrated into a common architecture called a domain controller. Such integration can bring multiple benefits, including cost reduction and simplified architecture, thereby accelerating innovation.

The processing platform in the in-vehicle infotainment system already has graphics processing functions, so using it as a general domain controller helps eliminate system redundancy and reduce the total system cost. The graphical interchange function between the in-vehicle infotainment system and the dashboard user interface further enhances the user experience. At the system level, this integration also reduces the complexity of the interface.

The advantages and challenges of integration coexist

Although this integration is beneficial, it is also necessary to consider compliance with functional safety requirements. Certain information in the dashboard is used to remind the driver to pay attention to vehicle functions. Some of the information may have an impact on the safety of the vehicle and passengers, so it needs to meet strict compliance requirements.

Therefore, the domain controller architecture is divided into two domains. The first domain is used for the safety-critical interface of the dashboard, which usually meets the automotive safety integrity level B (ASIL-B) standard. The second domain controls other connections in the vehicle. This domain is separately controlled by the remote communication control unit (TCU) and is generally isolated by a security gateway.

The integrity of safety-critical information is very important. The ISO 26262 compliance requirement level is first established at the system level based on hazard analysis, which will analyze the severity, controllability and exposure of the failure. According to the requirements of ISO 26262, integrators have a variety of options to integrate semiconductor components into their systems, such as: using components with the same ASIL level as the system, performing ASIL decomposition, and performing hardware evaluation of the components.

ASIL rating system

1. Airbag (ASIL-D)
2. Dashboard (ASIL-B)
3. Engine management (ASIL-C to D)
4. Headlight (ASIL-B)
5. Radar cruise control (ASIL-C)
6. Electric power steering (ASIL-D)
7. Visual ADAS (ASIL-B)
8. Active suspension (ASIL-B to C)
9. Anti-lock braking (ASIL-D)
10. Brake light (ASIL-B)
11. Rear view camera (ASIL-B)

ASIL certification covers some key components of the vehicle

In order to obtain ASIL certification, the past practice was to isolate the architecture that supports critical information from other vehicle functions and model it as a deterministic function with high availability. In the early in-vehicle infotainment systems, to allow different components to meet functional safety requirements, integrators needed to adopt “quality management” (QM)-level memory devices. However, as other interfaces such as driver monitoring and Electronic rearview mirrors are integrated into the domain controller, the interaction between the in-vehicle infotainment system and other key vehicle functions has increased. System integrators will face increasing challenges-how to meet the requirements of system functional safety by simply integrating QM memory components.

In order to meet this challenge, when developing memory products, it is necessary to comply with the ISO 26262 standard. In the past, memory products based on DRAM and NAND were restricted to the QM level. The reason may be that customers and integrators did not have demand, or the memory supplier did not develop compliance support. Recognizing this development trend, Micron has launched a series of memory components that have undergone functional safety assessments.

Micron launches industry-leading automotive safety solutions

Based on the in-depth understanding of the automotive market and the important role of memory in safety applications, Micron recently launched the industry-leading automotive functional safety memory series solutions, which are ideal solutions for the next generation of in-vehicle infotainment system applications. Functional safety solutions further demonstrate Micron's 30 years of commitment to providing leading solutions for the automotive market and reflect the company's extensive investment in various fields.

Micron's new automotive LPDDR5 memory is the first product in our extensive automotive-compatible series. It is suitable for any ASIL-level security system and is the best choice for the next generation of domain-based in-vehicle infotainment system applications. Micron's LPDDR5 products are accompanied by a hardware evaluation plan and analysis report, which are evaluated by an independent third-party and industry-recognized consulting company exida. According to the analysis results of exida, the product is suitable for the highest level system, including the most stringent ASIL-D.

The functional safety documentation of this memory product includes not only the delivery materials provided by typical vendors, such as safety analysis reports and safety application instructions, but also hardware evaluation reports developed internally by Micron. This evaluation report provides customers with more detailed information to help them prove that their system complies with the ISO 26262-5 standard. The product and the accompanying hardware evaluation report mark our next milestone towards a broader LPDDR5 product line, which is increasingly supporting functional safety system integration.

In addition, this product is also ahead of similar products in terms of innovative functional safety development: it is the first and only DRAM that contains a unique “safety engine” that can meet ASIL-C for random hardware errors through independent component functions Requirements, and meet the ASIL-D standard with more support from the host system. Compared with the standard JEDEC LPDDR5 solution, Micron's JEDEC compatible security solution enables system integrators to better ensure that DRAM is not affected by system failures, while significantly enhancing failure detection capabilities to improve system performance, power consumption, cost and Availability.

It is worth mentioning that although Micron provides an unparalleled series of memory and security products for the rapidly evolving intelligent edge of vehicles, it is ultimately the responsibility of customers and system integrators to prove that all electronic components are suitable for safety-related systems. It is through system design It is also very important to ensure that any component failure will not affect the safety of people or vehicles.

As a memory solution provider, Micron is in a leading position in product expertise and design data availability, and supports customers in system-level analysis and integration of memory components. By providing the first LPDDR5 memory that meets the ASIL-D standard, Micron's safety optimization products help automotive designers meet the functional safety requirements of in-vehicle infotainment system integration.

The Links:   SKIIP32NAB12   CLAA170EA07Q

Bloomberg: The shortage of chips begins to affect the delivery of semiconductor equipment

According to Bloomberg News, the global semiconductor shortage is spreading to companies that provide equipment for manufacturing chips, and one of the chip packaging equipment suppliers warned of delays in shipments.

According to EVP Chan Pin Chong of Kulicke & Soffa Industries Inc., the average delivery time of packaging equipment has doubled to six months. The company is the world’s largest chip packaging and testing service provider.

Bloomberg continues to point out that chip manufacturers and their partners are now trying to expand their production capacity to meet the growing demand for chips, but they are hindered in this process, partly because they have difficulty getting them from suppliers like Kulicke&Soffa. equipment. Companies including Innolux Corp. and Asustek Computer Inc. have also warned recently that the supply of chip packages is tight.

Chong said: “Chips are essential to our equipment, but the number of chips is insufficient.” He added that the imbalance in the global semiconductor market may continue until the end of 2021 or early next year.

The warning is the latest sign that the chip shortage is spreading. Due to the lack of important parts, automakers have to idle their factories, and consumer electronics manufacturers are slowing down production. Samsung Electronics this week became the biggest technology giant to warn of “serious imbalances” in semiconductors, saying that austerity conditions may pose problems for its business in the next quarter.

What is the cause of the “chip shortage”?

U.S. strategy and safety experts say that the main reason for the shortage of automotive chips is that the global pandemic of the new crown virus has led to a surge in demand for Electronic products, which in turn has induced chip manufacturers to shift to the production of more high-end electronic products. On the other hand, automakers underestimate the speed of economic recovery, and cut orders for chips during the epidemic are also an important factor.

Timothy R. Heath, a senior researcher at RAND, a well-known American think tank, said that the shortage of chips in the market is due to the surge in demand for electronic products and the continuing difficulties in chip manufacturing technology. Part of the reason for the surge in demand for electronic products is also the impact of the new coronavirus pandemic.

“The pandemic of the new crown epidemic has caused people to stay indoors or work at home, and correspondingly increase the demand for various consumer electronic products. This increase in demand conflicts with the continued limited supply of chips, and the production of chips is technically The difficulty is very high. Therefore, it is not easy for chip manufacturers to suddenly increase production,” He Tianmu said.

Denny Roy, a senior researcher at the East-West Center, a research institution based in Hawaii, also said that the main reason for the shortage of chips is the pandemic of the new crown virus, which has led to consumer electronics products. Caused by the surge in demand. People buy more computers, electronic entertainment equipment, etc. because they work remotely or avoid going out for social activities.

Rao Yi added: “The second reason is the trade war between the United States and China. The restrictions on Chinese products in the trade war have prompted some companies to stock up on chips, thereby reducing global chip supply.”

At the same time, some experts pointed out that the occurrence of the “chip shortage” in the automotive industry was caused by major automakers’ misjudgment of market demand and production strategies brought about by the economic restart.

James Lewis is the senior vice president and strategic technology project director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a public policy think tank in Washington.

Lewis said: “Automakers underestimated the speed of economic recovery and cut orders for chips. Chipmakers switched to supplying the production of other consumer devices; consumer devices are more profitable anyway.”

According to Lewis' analysis, there is no loose or excess capacity in the current US chip production system; therefore, it is difficult to switch products back to automobile production.

“But car companies, especially those that rely on’just-in-time production’, are in trouble. It may take three to five months to solve this problem,” he said.

The so-called just in time manufacturing refers to a production strategy adopted by manufacturers in order to avoid waste caused by excessive production, waiting time and excess inventory.

　

The Links:   C084XAN01.0   M170EG01-V9

3D power packaged DC/DC converters for medical applications

“DC/DC converters with medical-grade isolation can be used in combination with AC/DC power supplies or battery-powered equipment, which not only reduces the cost of end products in medical applications, but also meets the highest level of safety standards.

“

DC/DC converters with medical-grade isolation can be used in combination with AC/DC power supplies or battery-powered equipment, which not only reduces the cost of end products in medical applications, but also meets the highest level of safety standards.

Electronic equipment is increasingly being used in different medical and home diagnosis and treatment environments. The equipment used must strictly comply with relevant electrical safety standards: IEC 60601-1:2005 and its accompanying documents and national standards, including European EN 60601- 1:2006.

When considering the AC/DC power supply required by the product, refer to the application guide of the latest version of the safety standard, which mentions the “protective measures” (MOPs) that the operator and patient environment should have. It seems to be more sensible to directly specify the power supply with the highest safety level, that is, with dual patient protection measures (MOPPs). The maximum rated power supply voltage and leakage current meet the requirements of the CF type (heart floating) that contacts the patient; the CF type Refers to the connection of electricity to the organ for monitoring or stimulation. Battery-powered equipment may be deemed to be inapplicable to safety standards. However, in some cases, it is not enough to rely on fully certified AC/DC, and in other cases it is above the specifications. There are also some applications that are battery-powered. The equipment requires internal safety isolation.

Taking AC power supply equipment as an example, there must be at least 2 x MOOP or MOPP isolation from the AC line to the output, depending on whether the equipment will be used in the environment of the operator or patient, respectively. However, the output of the patient connection must be isolated from the ground by at least 1 x MOPP to prevent the patient from becoming a “fire wire” to other malfunctioning equipment, allowing lethal current to flow through the patient to the ground. In this case, an additional isolated DC/DC converter can power the circuit connected to the patient. If it has suitable medical grade isolation, it can use an AC/DC converter with only 1 x MOPP output isolation.

In another case where the signal connection is not specified, such as the communication port of AC or battery-powered equipment, there must be 2 x MOPP between the patient connection and the signal to prevent external faults from turning on the signal. Likewise, additional DC/DC converters can provide the required isolation. Figure 1 gives an example of a special case. A Class I, 2 x MOOP AC/DC power supply with unspecified signal input, plus a 2 x MOPP DC/DC converter, can provide the necessary isolation for the signal input. Allows the use of lower-cost “operator-level” AC/DC power supplies in patient-connected environments.

The DC/DC converter usually only needs to provide low power for the patient connection interface, so it is relatively small and low in cost. Due to its size, its coupling capacitance is usually very low, and the leakage current is therefore very low. Compared with the case of using AC/DC alone, it can provide a higher level of patient connection.

Figure 1: The highest level of medical power solutions connected to patients can be realized by using affordable devices

Care must be taken to choose DC/DC converters for medical applications

DC/DC converters have become commercial devices, and converters with various isolation levels, with or without agency certification, can be purchased from many sources. The designer should know that the high withstand voltage level usually only represents transient immunity. If it is not certified by the relevant standards of a special agency, the product may not be suitable for use as any type of safety barrier. For medical applications, the DC/DC specification should indicate the level of protection measures, MOOP or MOPP of the specified system voltage (usually 250VAC). DC/DC may legally obtain 2 x MOPP certification, but it is only possible at 30VAC. It is very dangerous if the system voltage is “normal” AC power. Medical-grade DC/DC converters are not common because it is not easy to achieve a high isolation level inside the device. The standard requires the use of solid solid insulating materials or a large distance between input and output. For example, the certification of 2 x MOPP/250VAC requires a creepage distance of 8mm, which is a big difficulty for the internal structure design.

The R05CT05S recently released by RECOM is an example of a DC/DC converter that achieves high-level medical isolation (Figure 2). This is an economical 0.5W device with a nominal input of 5V and an output of 3.3V, 5V, 3.7V, or 5.4V, which powers the low dropout regulator (LDO). The converter uses a compact 10.3mm x 7.7mm SMD package with a height of only 2.65mm, suitable for space-constrained applications. The highlight specification for the medical application of this product is 2 x MOPP/250VAC continuous rated voltage, and the test voltage is 5kVAC, which meets the IEC/EN 60601-1 standard. It also has a coupling capacitance of 3.5pF, and the leakage current for 250VAC/50Hz applications is negligible. Its rated voltage in non-medical applications is even better. C 800VAC reinforced isolation working voltage complies with EN 62368-1 standard. The maximum operating temperature can reach 140°C during derating. The device functions include enable, synchronization, adjustment and undervoltage lockout.

Figure 2: 2 x MOPP/250VAC rated voltage isolated DC/DC converter

Advanced power packaging for medical-grade isolation

The designer of R05CT05S must take a new approach to product packaging to have both functionality and high isolation level. The traditional toroidal transformer cannot meet the insulation requirements and the bobbin E core or similar is too large, so the switching frequency is pushed up to 8MHz, allowing fewer winding turns and smaller planar transformer cores, while using a sturdy core Insulation between windings meets medical grade requirements. Even at high switching frequencies, the advanced circuit design of the embedded die can maintain good efficiency. After the chip is wire bonded to the DVE SOIC-16 lead frame, the entire product is overmolded.

in conclusion

Medical-grade certified high-isolation DC/DC converters are valuable devices that can achieve the required isolation levels for the most sensitive applications, including CF-type patient connections. Through careful application, the use of RECOM R05CT05S when designing a system can reduce costs to the greatest extent without compromising safety. The advanced circuit and 3D power packaging technology used in this product is an essential technology for RECOM's latest products, and continues to push the company toward smaller, more efficient, and more cost-effective DC/DC and AC/DC converters in a wide range of applications such as medical care. The goal is to move forward.

The Links:   QM200HA-HK   LP104V2-W

GSMA: Chinese companies and consumers have a strong interest in 5G, leading the United States for 5 years

Sina Technology News, Beijing time on the evening of March 5th, according to foreign media reports, the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) today released a report stating that Chinese companies and individual consumers have a strong interest in 5G and smart devices, far ahead of Europe and the United States. .

Although GSMA announced the cancellation of this year's Mobile World Congress (MWC) last month, this did not prevent it from publishing an annual report on the global mobile economy. This report shows that China’s interest in 5G and smart devices is a global leader. The United States will not be able to catch up with China in the next five years or so, while Europe and other countries lag more behind.

China’s strength in this area can be seen from the results of multiple surveys conducted by the GSMA. GSMA said that due to early partnerships and local operators' trials, Chinese companies' interest in 5G is in a "race" state, and it demonstrates a wide range of intentions to use 5G in industrial environments.

As of the end of 2018, Chinese companies have been more interested in 5G network slicing (Network Slicing, the new technology that accompanies the debut of 5G, which refers to the use of existing networks segment by segment), edge computing and low-latency services have been higher than in other parts of the world. In addition, interest in higher data speeds also reached 74%.

The GSMA stated that China is a "notable exception" compared with beliefs elsewhere that 4G is "good enough", which will help to triple the number of smart manufacturing IoT connections in the next five years.

At the same time, Chinese consumers are equally interested in 5G. Following the accelerated rollout of 5G in 2019, China currently has the world’s highest rate of 5G upgrade intentions (70%), and its adult awareness of 5G ranks second (more than 85%, second only to South Korea), and it pays more for 5G services. The willingness to pay is the highest (78% compared to 60% in the US).

In contrast, consumers in Europe and Japan are more moderately interested in 5G. However, GSMA predicts that 5G marketing before the 2020 Summer Olympics will improve users' willingness to upgrade.

The report also shows that in addition to 5G, China is also a global leader in the smart home market. So far, China has the highest ownership rate in smart TVs, smart speakers, smart home security cameras, and other types of smart devices (security, lighting, energy controllers, etc.).

The United States lags behind China in all of the above categories, while the adoption rate in major European countries is lower.

The Links:   LM64P806   NL128102BC28-01

Using ADI’s mSure technology to realize meter accuracy monitoring

Innovations for power company applications are not limited to monitoring hardware devices that consume grid energy. They can now also provide analysis capabilities to understand the accuracy of meters that could not be tracked on-site before. We cooperate with Helen Electricity Network (a distribution system operator in Helsinki, Finland) and Aidon (a well-known smart grid, smart meter technology and service provider in the Nordic region), using ADI’s advanced terminal-cloud meter analysis solution (using mSure ®Technology) Energy Analytics Studio conducted field trials. This solution can monitor the accuracy of deployed meters over the lifetime and detect multiple types of electricity theft. The accuracy monitoring of electric meters is particularly closely related to the Finnish market, which is also the focus of this test.

Figure 1. Pilot equipment deployed in the field.

The value of precision monitoring

Over time, electric meters deployed in industrial, municipal, and residential environments are vulnerable to severe weather, unpredictable loads, lightning and other conditions. Therefore, the measurement accuracy of the electricity meter may shift or change, resulting in overcharge or undercharge. It takes a lot of time and money to solve the resulting problems, but it is impossible to find errors immediately after problems occur, or prevent errors in advance .

To make matters worse, the power company will lose the trust of its customers because of meter accuracy problems leading to incorrect billing. Nowadays, most power companies begin to conduct regular sampling tests and regularly replace electric meters, but this method is not only costly, but also causes interference to electricity users.

The solution uses a new technology called mSure, which can be integrated into each new meter on the spot, and continuously monitor and report on the measurement accuracy of each meter through cloud-based analysis services. Power companies can use this analysis service to understand the accuracy of all meters deployed, solve meter problems early, quickly replace meters that do not meet the accuracy requirements, and reduce and eliminate meter sampling testing when permitted by laws and regulations, so as to better play Existing advantages of AMI network.

Figure 2. View the accuracy of the electricity meter through a cloud-based analysis service.

In addition, due to the influence of factors such as renewable energy and electric vehicle charging, energy consumption has become more dynamic, and consumers’ electricity bills have fluctuated more, which will lead to consumer inquiries or complaints. This solution allows power companies to quickly evaluate the accuracy of specific meters, avoiding costly on-site inspections, and therefore improving customer satisfaction.

Field test deployment

Since August 2018, Helen Electricity Network has used cloud-based analysis services to view the meter accuracy information of more than 40 evaluation devices using mSure technology deployed on-site. VTT/MIKES, an independent testing company in Finland, verified the accuracy of these devices. The first stage: 19 normal equipments were removed from the site for accuracy testing, and the test results were obtained in October 2018. Phase 2: VTT/MIKES implemented accelerated life testing on these 19 devices, and the test results were obtained in November 2019. Use high-precision test equipment to test to find the reference accuracy of all equipment before the test, and verify the accuracy of the equipment deviation. Figure 3 shows the offset results obtained from the VTT/MIKES test and the implementation of the analysis service after the second phase.

Figure 3. Offset range of stage 2 equipment.

Use cloud-based analysis services with locally installed evaluation equipment connected in series with the main electricity meter. The evaluation device shown in Figure 1 uses ADI’s ADE9153B energy metering IC, integrated mSure technology to achieve advanced diagnostic functions. In this way, the electricity meter sends the original diagnostic information to the analysis service, after analysis, provides warning information, observes the development trend, and provides a health report of the electricity meter. In actual deployment, power companies can deploy meters based on ADE9153B energy measurement chips, and use analysis services to seamlessly utilize mSure’s technical advantages.

Field test results

In the first stage, the data from the cloud-based analysis service was compared with the reference measurement results performed by VTT/MIKES. The results showed that for these 19 devices, the analysis service can track an accuracy deviation better than 0.1%. All 19 devices are strictly grouped, and nearly 0% shows the minimum deviation.

In the second stage, these meters can be aged in an accelerated environment for 8 months to simulate the use of the meters at an average ambient temperature of 30°C for about 10 years. Phase 2 is carried out in a controlled laboratory environment, rather than on-site, in order to accurately assess the performance of analytical services and accelerate the aging process of these meters. Similar to the first stage, the accuracy deviation of the 19 devices tracked is better than 0.1% (as shown in Figure 4), and the accuracy test and analysis service both show that the average negative deviation is about -0.05%.

Figure 4. In the second stage, the equipment difference between the analysis service and the offset result of the VTT accelerated life test.

The laboratory also uses manual methods to age an electric meter to show the ability of the analysis service to accurately track large excursions. The experimenter connected the resistor in parallel with the manganin shunt to change the impedance to achieve artificial aging. VTT/MIKES measured the offset caused by this aging, and the measured value was -1.91%, while the analysis service determined that the accuracy offset of the meter was -1.96%, and there was only a 0.05% difference between the two.

In summary, the first phase of the field test shows that the analysis service can track the accuracy of the mSure technology-enabled meters deployed in the field very accurately. The accuracy error is within 0.1%, but the offset of the meters at this stage is very small. In the second stage, that is, when the analog meter is used in the field for 10 years, the accuracy test and analysis service show that the meter is offset in the negative direction, and the accuracy offset tracking is continuously performed with an error of 0.1%. Proof of field test. The combination of mSure technology and analysis services can monitor the error deviation of the electric meter with sufficient accuracy and replace the sample test of the electric meter.

author

Mika Nousiainen is the measurement manager of Helen Electricity Network, responsible for the management of measurement assets and measurement services. He has been engaged in the business case and project management of the smart meter project. Recently, he was mainly responsible for the life cycle and partnership management of the meter. Mika has been working at Helen Electricity Network since 2002. He has a master’s (engineering) degree in electrical engineering.

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