JUNE / JULY 2018 CANADA’S INFORMATION LEADER FOR ELECTRONIC ENGINEERS AND DESIGNERS
EPT.CA
VIRTUAL HEALTHCARE
XR Lab to demo mixed reality medical tech p.16
PRODUCTION HEADACHES
Circumventing electronic OEM corrosion problems p.20
PLASTIC SEMICONDUCTORS UofWaterloo develops plastic semis p.23
BLOCKCHAIN PM 40065710
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Its impact on electronics OEM distribution channels p.12
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INSIDE Columns
Cover photo: Tkktktktktktktk Photos (this page, from top): tktktktkktktktktktktktktkkt
4 EDITORIAL Component supply shortages could drive counterfeit use 10 WEST TECH REPORT Calgary CEM August Electronics expands
In every issue
7 NEWSWATCH 11 PRODUCT SOURCE 25 AD INDEX 26 TEARDOWN Nest Hello video doorbell
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JUNE / JULY 2018
COVER STORY
12
BLOCKCHAIN Its impact on the electronics OEM supply chain. 14 Reverse Supply Chain Management
16
VIRTUAL HEALTHCARE XR Lab to demo mixed reality medical tech. 18 New products
20 23
14
PRODUCTION HEADACHES Circumventing electronic OEM corrosion problems. 22 New products PLASTIC SEMICONDUCTORS U of Waterloo chemists develop flexible, sustainable plastic semiconductors. 24 New products
16 Miniature RF & Power Magnetics
for Wearable Technology • Wirewound RF chip inductors as small as 0201 size • Shielded power inductors as thin as 0.5 mm • Coupled inductors as small as 2.2 x 1.5 mm for LED display drivers
Learn more @ coilcraft.com @EPTmagazine
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EDITORIAL
Part supply pressure + shortages=counterfeit use
Canada’s information leader for electronic engineers and designers JUNE / JULY 2018
Volume 40, Number4
EDITOR Stephen Law slaw@ept.ca · (416) 510-5208 WEST COAST CORRESPONDENT
It is an encouraging trend, if you are involved in the ecosystem of this industry. Electronics is infiltrating literally every facet our tactile world. With the progress and prevalence of emerging technologies like IoT, robotics and Industry 4.0, electronic connectedness has never been more evident than now. The rise of emerging technologies along with the need for components in these designs has driven demand over the top. With the tech surge comes some challenges, such as component shortages as indicated by the Electronic Components Industry Association (ECIA) during my recent visit to the Electronics Distribution Show (EDS) in Las Vegas this May. ECIA issued a warning on the increasing threat of counterfeit parts getting into the supply chain during periods of component shortages. ECIA is tracking the
challenges the industry faces due to component shortages, especially in passives such as MLCCs and certain semiconductors. The ECIA’s component supplier member community is working on alleviating these issues. Long lead times and allocation conditions are expected to continue throughout most of 2018, however. ECIA is concerned that these conditions will force customers to consider alternative and unauthorized sources for these critical components in order to meet their own production commitments. This is understandable, but increases the risk to the industry and the consumer that counterfeit components will get into the supply chain. The threat from IP theft has evolved. The increasing perpetration of illegal and damaging acts of IP theft not only costs the global economy tens of billions of dollars per year, but it also deprives individuals of their livelihoods, and poses a public safety and health threat. Counterfeit goods traditionally were limited
HOW BLOCKCHAIN IMPACTS SUPPLY CHAIN Can’t go anywhere today without hearing the word Blockchain? Well, EP&T has reached out to someone who can best explain its impact on the electronics supply chain in the coming years. Blockchain is essentially a ledger technology that uses cryptography to provide an authoritative record of secure transactions. By doing away with a trusted centralized middle man responsible for the ledger, blockchain allows for a “trustless trust.” The three primary transformative features are immutability, transparency, and autonomy. The key drivers for blockchain and Industry 4.0 are automation, connectivity, and digitization. Couple that with greater intelligence through analytics and data rationalization, and the implementation of smarter operations can begin. Industrial IoT (Internet of Things) and cyberphysical systems represent the most popular realization of those key drivers. These findings are highlighted in a feature length (cover) article, by ABI Research’s Michela Menting, which can be found on pages 12-13 of this edition. Don’t miss it!
Connect with EP&T magazine @EPTmagazine
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ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY / June / July 2018
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to luxury goods such as handbags and watches. However, with the advent of new technologies, combined with the high profits and perceived low risk from selling infringing goods, counterfeits have become increasingly more sophisticated and prevalent. Products in every industry—from food to health care products to electronics—now are being counterfeited. Automobile parts may make vehicles unsafe, aircraft parts may fail in flight, or electrical components may catch fire. Average consumers are incapable of determining whether the goods they purchase pose a risk or the nature of the risk. The widespread availability of the Internet has contributed to the increasing threat. The Internet enables manufacturers to sell counterfeit products to customers around the world and facilitates counterfeiters who wish to breach or avoid legitimate supply chains for products. The impact of the Internet is particularly noticeable in the electronics industry. Offenders are creating websites that appear legitimate and deceiving consumers into purchasing counterfeit goods. Because of the anonymity of the Internet and the ability of counterfeiters to disguise the true nature of the goods they offer online, consumers are hampered in their ability to make rational choices. In an effort to safeguard your designs, the ECIA encourages everyone to continue relying on authorized sales channel for electronics components and to report any counterfeit component activity. STEPHEN LAW Editor slaw@ept.ca
Sohail Kamal sohail@nextgear.ca
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Scott Atkinson satkinson@ept.ca · (416) 510-5207 ACCOUNT MANAGER Joanna Malivoire
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2018-05-18 2018-06-01 10:23 12:32AM PM
NEWSWATCH CANADA TECH AWARDS
CANADIAN EXCELLENCE IN ELECTRONICS RECOGNIZED
The intelliFLEX Innovation Alliance presented its annual CPES Innovation Awards and its first Women in FHE STEM Award recently at CPES2018, a conference and trade show exhibition for printable, flexible and hybrid electronics. “For 2018, we expanded The Innovation Awards to put the spotlight on diversity in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), in addition to the world-class innovation in flexible and hybrid electronics (FHE) that is coming out of the Canadian ecosystem,” said Peter Kallai, president & CEO, intelliFLEX. “It takes a team with diverse experiences and abilities to create compelling new products and technologies that can succeed in global markets..” The winner of the first Women in FHE STEM Award was Michelle Chretien, director of the Centre for Advanced Manufacturing and Design Technologies at Sheridan College. The winner of the CPES2018 New Product Innovation Award was TUKU in partnership with Array Marketing. These two companies partnered to create Array Lift to Learn & Tap to Learn, powered by TUKU’s digital content platform. The winner of the CPES2018 Commercialization Award was Jones Packaging, recognized for its work to integrate Thinfilm Electronics NFC tags into folding cartons on highspeed production lines. The winner of the Startup of the Year Award was XCo Tech, a globally recognized XPS and BioAnalytics platforms collect and intelligently interpret data to improve sport performance, concussion assessment and chronic disease management.
Innovation award winners: Aaron Willinsky (Array Marketing), Scott McMillian (XCo), Michelle Chretien (Sheridan College), Mark Baldwin (TUKU), James Lee (Jones Packaging), with intelliFLEX CEO Peter Kallai.
40
Software developers hired a tLaivly
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Photos: Mirna Chacín; Borealis AI
AI TECH CENTRE OPENS IN WINNIPEG
24-7 Intouch, an award-winning global contact center outsourcer and technology firm, has announced a new technology brand division called Laivly, which includes a centre in Winnipeg. Dedicated to applying emerging technology including artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation in support of live customer service, Laivly’s suite of proprietary @EPTmagazine
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50%
of New Jobs come from Scale up firms
software and app technologies currently includes SIDD, a live-agent assisted AI platform, and Superpunch, an operations facing communication tool that emphasizes the employee experience. “Brand leaders are searching for an artificial intelligence strategy that is practical and will really work,” says Jeff Fettes, founder of Laivly and co-founder of 24-7 Intouch. “We are creating unique software that allows customer service problems to be solved more effectively and with more personalization than ever before.” Laivly has hired over 40 software
developers, UX designers, and product managers over the past year with plans on hiring an additional 40 staff by the end of 2018. The company is committed to making Winnipeg one of the largest technology centers in Canada. “Winnipeg and Canada has such a vast developer community and we are looking for forward-thinking, talented people that are looking to grow and help change the future of customer service along with us,” says Kevin Hnatiuk, senior director of R&D with Laivly.
TECH SCALE-UPS
LAZARIDIS INSTITUTE TO ASSESS TECH FIRM’S READINESS TO SCALE
The Lazaridis Institute at Wilfrid Laurier University is investing in Canadian technology through its flagship Lazaridis Scale-Up Program. The Institute has collaborated with scaling experts to provide an opportunity for tech companies in 15 cities across Canada to evaluate their potential to scale. Tech leaders, policy-makers, and media all point to the fact that scale-ups account for less than five per cent of Canadian companies and yet create more than 50% of all new jobs. Now in its third year, the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program is designed to help founders of tech companies overcome the challenges they face as they scale their businesses for global competition. The program addresses constraints to growth with a customized approach, heavily oriented toward execution. After just one year, 100% of the first cohort of 10 companies reported increased revenues; 90% launched a new product or service, increased exports and received external financing. “Each year the Lazaridis Scale-Up Program brings together 10 of Canada’s most promising tech companies to work with global experts, grow their networks and prepare for their next round of financing,” says Kim Morouney, managing director, Lazaridis Institute. June / July 2018 / EP&T
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NEWSWATCH BC TECH
#BCTECH SUMMIT BREAKS ATTENDANCE RECORD
The 2018 #BCTECH Summit managed to break its attendance record this past May, drawing an estimated 9,000 participants to nearly a dozen conference-related events over three days. 3,000 delegates connected with over 270 exhibitors and watched more than 200 speakers who highlighted the transformations technology is driving across all industries and its impact on how we work, live and play. “There is no better indication of the robust and dynamic state of B.C.’s tech industry than this event—which has touched a record number of people for a third straight year,” says Shirley Vickers, president & CEO of Innovate BC, which delivered the event in partnership with the Government of B.C. “This summit is where industry meets innovation, and the significant involvement of technology leaders, investors, senior government officials, students, researchers and business executives in every industry shows an unquenched thirst for innovation and collaboration in this province.”
5G TEST
EXFO HOSTS INNOVATION SUMMIT
EXFO Inc. the network test, monitoring and analytics experts, held its first-ever Innovation Summit last month in Lac-Beauport QC. The event brought together 100 members of the EXFO team from offices on four continents, while attendees took part in several activities, including a hackathon. The three-day summit welcomed speakers from NASA, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Amazon, focusing on the future of communications technology and promote EXFO’s leadership with customers at the cutting edge like Apple, Google, and Amazon. According to EXFO, many of the world’s major telecom operators use its test instruments and software to manage and monitor their communications networks. “The summit initiative is a natural fit for our organization,” says EXFO CEO Philippe Morin. “When EXFO was founded over 30 years ago, 8
3,000 Delegates connected with 270 exhibitors and watched 200 speakers at #BCTECH Summit.
3 DAY
ADDITIVES
ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING POWERHOUSE FORMED
Canada has a new 3D design engineering and additive manufacturing powerhouse now that Javelin Technologies and Cimetrix Solutions have merged. The move is expected to boost service to the group’s 6,000 customers involved with driving innovation in multiple sectors of the Canadian economy. Javelin Technologies, Oakville ON, is a player in 3D design engineering, product data management, automa-
EXFO summit featured speakers from NASA, MIT and Amazon.
ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY / June / July 2018
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we already had a bold vision: we were convinced that optical fiber was the future of global communications networks.”
tion and additive manufacturing (industrial 3D printing) in plastic and metal. Oshawa ON-based Cimetrix is a leader on additive manufacturing and laser scanning solutions for both industry and educational institutions. Combining the two companies in a unified team creates a new level of service and support for Canada’s most creative, from students and start-ups to the largest top-tier manufacturers.
QUANTUM COMPUTING
TORONTO FIRM TO BUILD PHOTONIC QUANTUM COMPUTER
Xanadu, a Toronto-based quantum technologies company, hopes to speed its development of a unique approach to quantum computing, following a recent a seed round of $9-million. Specializing in the design and integration of quantum silicon photonic chips into existing hardware to create full-stack quantum computing, Xanadu is creating one that is based on building quantum photonic chips which will enable the creation of – what it hopes to be - the ‘world’s most powerful computer.’ Recent scientific breakthroughs have shown that the use of photons — particles of light — can be harnessed to perform extremely fast, incredibly complex computations, making it possible to solve some of the world’s most pressing computational problems. With a team of world-class experts in quantum computing and hardware, Xanadu is developing a photonic quantum architecture that can help solve previously intractable problems in machine learning, chemistry, finance, sensing, and drug discovery. The team’s mission is to achieve practical quantum supremacy by building quantum processors based on silicon photonics, where fabrication is achieved using existing foundries, leading to significant cost and production savings. Visit ept.ca for the latest new products, news and industry events. EPT.CA
2018-06-01 12:32 PM
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THE ORIGINAL PUSH-PULL CONNECTORS
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Calgary CEM August Electronics expands
Co-founder Peter Wilson shares his insights on the firm’s recent move
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The founders of August Electronics, a contract electronics manufacturer (CEM) based in Calgary AB, recognized a problem: They were growing out of two busy facilities that limited its ability to manage operations efficiently. The oil and gas boom produced strong sales, but it also led to a tight real estate market. The CEM recognized that one large, unifying space would help them reduce cost, upgrade equipment and expand capacity. Then the oil bust occurred, and the opportunity arose to seek out opportunity in the rubble. West Tech Report recently spoke with one of August’s founders, Peter Wilson, to expound on the firm’s recent move to a new world class facility and how it has helped them prepare for the future.
Q
Q: What was the impetus for the move to an 85,000 sq. Ft. space? Previously, we were operating two facilities which was not very efficient, but the abundance of real estate during the downturn presented us with the exciting opportunity of building a new facility from scratch. We applied what we had learned over the previous 25-years to create an efficient layout and workflow that allows us to continue growing - when the eventual economic rebound takes place. So far it appears to be working out well. Since moving to our new facility, sales are up 60%. Q: How has the oil & gas downturn affected the industry, and how are you preparing for the future? Alberta’s economy is still reeling and it’s possible that the glory days of the oil and gas industry are over, which has undoubtedly affected any CEM’s with oil and gas customers. One of the benefits of a downturn in the oil and gas industry is that a lot of tech-savvy individuals are now involved in startups that span many industries. Our future growth will depend on generating awareness of the benefits
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of having electronics built locally. Often, start-ups think they have to go overseas for cost-effective manufacturing, which is really not the case. Internally, we are continually scrutinizing and improving our processes, upgrading our equipment, and expanding our capacity to serve a diversified client base.
A
Q: How do you differentiate from your competition? Mainly, we are more accommodating. We’re a one-stop shop, offering everything from consigned circuit board assembly, to full-turnkey with lots of mechanical assembly and direct shipping to end users. August Electronics focuses on being a strategic partner that consults with customers to understand their products, applications, and business rationale. Q: How does the new space set you apart from others? We’re proud of having excellent shop floor control and smooth workflow. We have a lot of space, and that allows us to handle the diverse requirements of our customers, keep everything tidy and organized, and still have room to grow. We can afford to dedicate space to special processes, such as repair of abused oil-field instrumentation and calibration of hazardous-gas detection equipment. Q: Moving can be risky. What sort of challenges did you face? We had 25-years of production experience to rely on, so we knew pretty much what we wanted. The main challenge was to get it built properly and on-time. Our best advice is to have a clear vision, a great contractor, and visit the site every day. Sohail Kamal is EP&T’s West Coast correspondent. sohail@nextgear.ca EPT.CA
2018-04-13 10:57 AM
2018-06-01 12:32 PM
ELECTRONIC DESIGN SOURCE
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KEYSTONE Coil spring contacts slide into molded cases with no wire lead, serving as direct placement onto a pcb. Devices adjust to variations in battery length and ensure low contact resistance and dependable connectivity. Manufactured from .024” (.61mm) thick, steel wire and supplied with nickel plating, devices are supplied in a positive contact style (Cat. No 243 or 180) or negative contact style (Cat. No 242 or 179). www.keyelco.com
D-SUB FILTER CONNECTORS PROTECT FROM LIQUID INGRESS
CONEC IP67 D-SUB CONEC SlimCon filter connectors integrate one low-pass filter per contact, protecting against
ingress of liquids and foreign substances, while shielding against high-frequency conducted interference. Designed with one-piece zinc die-cast housing, devices come with integrated C filter and EMC sealing. Device’s panel cut-out corresponds to that of other standard D-SUB connectors and the required mounting area is reduced by 48% to 52% compared to a standard device. www.conec.com
INDUSTRIAL RELAY SYSTEM COMES WITH SCREW CONNECTION
PHOENIX CONTACT RIFLINE complete industrial relay system allows installer to execute all standard relay applications, as the @EPTmagazine
device provides high availability through pluggable relays and function modules. Product portfolio is available with screw connection in addition to Push-in connection technology. Pre-assembled modules provide easy handling and start-up due to modern wiring and potential distribution concept. www.phoenixcontact.com
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2018-05-17 9:35 AM
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SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
COVER STORY
How BLOCKCHAIN stands to impact the supply chain within the electronics OEM manufacturing environment BY MICHELA MENTING, RESEARCH DIRECTOR AT ABI RESEARCH At its core, blockchain is a public ledger technology that uses distributed consensus and cryptography to provide an authoritative record of secure transactions. The technology is disruptive in that it eliminates centralization, which uses a trusted third party. As such, blockchain threatens to disrupt the centralized architecture that underlies the brunt of many transactions today. This new trustless trust model can provide a number of advantages, including transparency and automation, facilitating processes in many applications. Within the electronics manufacturing and supply chain environment, blockchain will be able to offer some significant advantages. Business logic can be programmed through smart contracts, and contractual agreements can be automatically executed peer to peer or machine to machine. Smart contracts can therefore be programmed to do many things: tie-in identities, release funds, communicate information, record and embed data, track and monitor goods, delivery secure services; all this in a pre-programmed, self-executing, autonomous manner. With contract manufacturing on the rise and new players in tech fields targeting the industry, the logistics are becoming more complex. This more crowded supply chain means that there is less visibility end-to-end and increasing issues with accountability and auditing. Participants can only see so far, either up or down stream. And there is of course the continuing issue with IP
theft, the counterfeiting and cloning of products, especially in electronics, that is increasingly common in contract manufacturing and all along the supply chain.
Blockchain provides visibility end-to-end to all parties
As a transparent ledger, blockchain can provide visibility end-to-end to all parties involved in that supply chain, from a product design perspective (silicon IP), all the way through to its final form and delivery post-market (IoT device). As the various participants in a supply chain engage with the product, their actions are logged and recorded. When certain conditions are met, smart contracts can allow access to the designs to the right contract manufacturer, provision the device with the authorized service provider, authenticate the legitimate buyer, etc. There is a clear audit trail and traceability of the device. The ability to provide transparent information on identity and ownership, with smart contracts that can trigger authorization, authentication and access control is highly beneficial for electronics OEMs to provide for secure manufacturing and lifecycle device management. Digital product memory could be tied into the hardware of the device, in a secure element for example, such as smartcard, trusted platform module, hardware security module or other secure hardware. Smart contracts could then leverage connectivity to facilitate secure provisioning, onboarding and
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The blockchain would provide an open, secure and immutable ledger from which electronics OEMs could more effectively optimize and streamline processes.
EPT.CA
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For OEMs, a big question will be around cost – what is it going to cost to implement and deploy, what is it going to replace that has already been paid for
management, enabling trusted post market services OTA such as patching, updating and versioning, etc. The blockchain would provide an open (to relevant parties), secure and immutable ledger from which electronics OEMs could more effectively optimize and streamline processes and maybe even add new value to operations. But most importantly, integrating with the blockchain through secure hardware could make it more difficult for counterfeiting and IP theft. Despite the potential advantages, blockchain is still a nascent technology. The key here is trustless trust and breaking down barriers that have formed around centralized systems. But blockchain probably won’t stick in areas that are controlled end-to-end by one entity or where there is already trust in the process. Blockchain for the sake of blockchain is not a good business model. For OEMs, a big question will be around cost – what is it going to cost to implement and deploy, what is it going to replace that has already been paid for, and what kind of resources are needed to keep it running. Most importantly, will blockchain address the ongoing issues in the electronics manufacturing space, and in particular around IP theft and cloning. @EPTmagazine
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The thing about blockchain is that it doesn’t need substantial investment or change to integrate it, at least within the electronics industry. The infrastructure for lifecycle device management is already largely in place, through the expanding IoT ecosystem. The blockchain can simply provide better visibility into the infrastructure, and more strictly define authorization and access control policies to legitimate users. And it can also potentially aid in tracking down the threat vectors in the supply chain where cloning and IP theft tend to occur most often.
Lifecycle device management
There are also scale and energy consumption issues with the blockchain. With the decreasing cost of cloud storage, this is less of an issue, but it is important to consider that there may well be hundreds of participant nodes, each with a copy of the ledger that can only grow in size over time, and may have real-time requirements as well (immediate synchronized replication across all nodes may not be possible with devices that may only connect infrequently). How fast can this be done? Will all nodes have the bandwidth? Will all devices be required to a full copy of the ledger on the hardware? Lifecycle device management is a
growing market opportunity for IoT devices, but many of those will be resource constrained. How will those devices fare with a growing ledger and increasing number of smart contracts that they may need to host? And of course, as a nascent technology, there are a lot of unknowns – smart contracts and decentralized autonomous organizations have been hacked in the past.There are a lot of fraudulent ICOs currently ongoing and even where they are legitimate, they exist in a grey regulatory area. How will blockchain affect data retention / deletion regulation? And what about data protection and privacy laws. There is often a good reason data isn’t shared among all participants. Maybe this is where the cryptography features of the block can provide some security, but to what extent? All of these questions will have to be addressed. Beyond that, there could still be resistance to adoption. It can take one country like the U.S. or China to block it, and the market might not take off. Despite this, blockchain has certainly come a long way since the 2008 whitepaper. Currently, the market is in the middle of a first movers phase for blockchain 2.0 – with a lot of ongoing pilots, PoCs and beta testing. Most likely, commercialization will take place in 3-5 years for the industrial manufacturing and the supply chain industry. But, there is a lot of opportunity in the electronics space that could answer many current unresolved issues. OEMs will need to be able to positively ascertain that blockchain can solve their supply chain issues around transparency and IP theft before diving in headfirst.
June / July 2018 / EP&T 13
2018-06-01 12:32 PM
SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
COVER STORY
Reverse supply chain management
An environmentally & commercially sustaining practice BY LINDA LI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER AT LI TONG GROUP Today’s accelerated pace of innovation in the enterprise and the consumer domains is resulting in an unprecedented proliferation of technological devices. Concurrently, there is also a shrinking inventory of the raw materials required to make them. This bottleneck of raw materials is becoming a crisis on a global scale and represents the requirement for manufacturers to innovate their logistics and supply chain processes. Traditionally, electronics and high-tech manufacturers have used conventional recycling methods as a means to dispose of end-of-life technology. These methods are called cradle-tograve or down-cycling where the process degrades the quality of materials over time, eventually resulting in waste. This process, while effective for returning technology to its raw material state, is environmentally taxing and can be a burden on a company’s bottom line. A comprehensive, closed-loop recycling approach reduces the demands for raw materials to produce a new product by using cradle-to-cradle or reusable materials harvested from end-of-life assets/surplus inventory and strategically introducing them into the forward supply chain.
How Tech is Adapting
OEMs are releasing new products at a faster rate than any other time in history and older models are subsequently reaching the end of their life quicker. On average, between five and seven percent of the typical OEMs’ annual shipment volume becomes obsolete before it is sold or reaches the consumer. Recycling and re-use have become strategic decisions at the earliest stage of product development and at the highest levels of the corporate organization. Through Reverse Supply Chain
A good RSCM partnership will allow the device OEM to focus on what they do best — designing innovative products and getting them out the door — while also delivering a return service that their customers demand and fulfilling compliance obligations.
The Circular Economy
A comprehensive, closed-loop recycling approach reduces the demands for raw materials used to make electronic components.
Management (RSCM), OEM’s can harvest parts and components from these obsolete assets and excess inventory and inject them into the manufacturing networks of new products—eliminating waste reducing manufacturing costs. The strength of an effective and profitable RSCM program lies in the depth of its engineering expertise. Engineers must consider the aftermarket value for devices, the primary market value for component parts such as screens, switches, and chips, as well as the recycling value of metals, and extract the usable elements for repurpose through a partner network. Remaining non-usable parts are disposed of via highly regulated, compliant systems.
Reverse Logistics in a Device-Driven World
Because devices are so highly integrated — not your traditional PC or laptop — they are very small and difficult, if not impossible, to take apart. If the device
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is broken or defective, the whole thing has to be taken back. On average, the typical lifespan of a mobile device can vary between three to five years. Consumers, however, choose to change or upgrade their products after using them for a year and a half, even if the devices are still highly functional. This has led to a significant increase in product trade-ins and aftermarket/third party refurbishing businesses. When it comes to properly managing a reverse supply chain or reverse logistic service for devices, it’s important to note that most device manufacturers are smaller OEMs, perhaps even start-ups, and it’s costly for manufacturers of this size to design and deploy their own RSCM programs. It is neither economical nor efficient for small OEMs to build their own reverse logistic network. It is strongly suggested that smaller OEMs partner with established RSCM providers and leverage their knowledge, experience and existing omni-channel take back platforms.
There are limited processes for OEMs, historically speaking, when it comes to dealing with post-consumer and industrial recycling of electronic devices; none of them are environmentally sustaining, including selling to less developed markets to recover value and minimize e-waste and recycling to recover raw materials where possible. Closed-loop RSCM reduces the carbon footprint of manufacturing through the recovery, reuse and remanufacturing (3R) of end-of-life technology and its components. The 3R approach can reconcile consumer demand and the shrinking inventory of materials needed to meet it by linking reverse supply chains with forward supply networks. Transferable components can be re-programmed so that they can have a second life in alternative applications. Remanufactured parts can either go back into the OEM’s original forward logistics supply chain or it can be sold or remarketed in another market. The key to the popularity of these programs among consumers is that they give credit for old devices that can be applied to new ones. If an OEM offers an incentivized program, owners of mobile phones that are about to become obsolete can trade their phone in for credit toward the new model. In fact, the volume is 10 to 20 times higher than that experienced by programs that do not offer an incentive. These programs benefit the OEM in several significant ways. First, it helps focus the EPT.CA
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consumer’s attention on devices offered by that particular manufacturer, rather than competitors. If a consumer can apply the value of the phone he’s using today toward the phone he wants to use tomorrow, he is far less likely to check out what other vendors are offerings. Second, an incentivized take-back program serves as a great way to prevent second-hand devices from being sold into the emerging markets that are strategically important for the OEM. Skillfully executed take-back programs help keep devices out of the unofficial channels that often cannibalize new products and markets. The world’s leading technology brands win business by providing their customers with a brand experience that extends beyond hardware, UX and support, and also extends to what happens once the product needs to be replaced and recycled. Well-planned RSCM programs provide confidence to the brands and the consumer the product will be taken care of in the most responsible way possible and valuable components will not simply be destroyed or sent to landfill, but re-used in a progressive and intelligent way. Strong RSCM programs enable all companies to deepen their customer relationships, strengthen their organizational and culture initiatives, maintain the highest levels of compliance and turn a profit. It’s a win-win for the brand, the customer and the environment.
repairs and other uses, providing a level of protection against the fluctuation of global markets. This strategy could turn reverse logistics or reverse supply chain into a profit center; it represents real money savings. The parts harvested from older-generation devices have already been paid for, and don’t need to be paid for again. Simply pay for the service to harvest them out of the device. If a company were to smelt the entire motherboard from an
older-generation product, there would be little to no financial recovery, depending on the precious metal commodities market. But if an SSD is harvested and reused, it’s a gain of about $20 U.S.
Finding a RSCM Partner
Enabling standardized service in the U.S. and markets around the globe is critical for OEMs. They need to ensure the products moving through the reverse supply chain are handled and treated
according to the same standards, while also complying with local laws and regulations. One of the best ways to achieve both goals is to engage with an RSCM service provider that has global coverage and facilities that maintain the same service standard for quality, security and compliance to the extent that both platform development and management capability are as strong as its technical processing capability worldwide.
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dESIgN SOLuTIONS
No More Parts Shortages
As with the tragic tsunami that hit Thailand in 2004, there can be drastic disruptions to the global supply chain. In the case of the Thailand disaster, the entire global supply of hard drives was disrupted for several months. Supply chain disruptions are very costly to an OEM, and even an entire market. Imagine if OEMs instead had programs in place for harvesting components from older generations of devices. With a process where the device is properly de-manufactured, harvested components — such as hard drives — can be reused and repurposed as a back-up supply for @EPTmagazine
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MEDICAL ELECTRONICS
FEATURE
XR Lab to demo emerging healthcare technologies
Demo studio leverages mixed reality & emerging technologies to inspire healthcare solutions A demo studio leveraging mixed realities and other emerging exponential technologies to inspire future healthcare collaborations has opened in Surrey BC. Officially launched as XR LAB, the facility is located within the District’s HealthTech Innovation HUB in Surrey. The new dedicated XR LAB offers a fully equipped virtual reality workspace where companies can get access to mixed reality demo opportunities, shared spaces and facilities, workshops and programs and a whole suite of business services as part of the HealthTech Innovation HUB’s amenity offerings. The facility is a result of a collaboration between the Health and Technology District, together with Conquer Experience and Stambol Studios. Users of the XR LAB have the opportunity to co-locate with innovative thought leaders at the District, to build and inspire creative health and wellness collaborations and encourage the cross-pollination of forward-thinking ideas that bring real world healthcare solutions to patients everywhere.
“This demo studio lab will help advance healthtech innovations” “The new XR LAB is a new venture and a natural fit for Conquer as we rebrand and transition into new markets leveraging our core virtual reality strengths and successes,” says Angela Robert, CEO and co-founder of Conquer Experience, formerly Conquer Mobile. “BC is at the forefront of innovative technologies and Surrey has a rapidly growing health and technology presence. The
international partners, clinical and research facilities, scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs, work together in partnership to accelerate the implementation of technologies and solutions. www.healthandtechnologydistrict.com
About Conquer Experience:
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XR Labs provides a fully equipped virtual reality medical workspace.
XR LAB and the resources at the HealthTech Innovation HUB will help advance health-tech innovations and further the successes of companies within the District.” Building upon Conquer Experience and Stambol Studios’ BCbuilt virtual reality successes, the XR LAB attracts businesses, entrepreneurs and emerging startups to use the highly specialized equipment within the LAB to build mixed realities in the areas of health and wellness and beyond as BC builds and commercializes disruptive global solutions in health. “We are pleased to partner with the Health and Technology District and Conquer Experience to showcase our mixed reality technologies and applications related to the District,” says Dogu Taskiran, CEO of Stambol Studios. “Immersive mixed reality technologies can provide creative solutions and bring to life various environments that benefit
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a variety of industries, including healthcare. We look forward to creating applications that will further innovate the health and wellness space utilizing various exponential technologies.” The XR LAB complements the Health and Technology District’s unique ecosystem that supports the collaboration, experimentation and innovation in health and wellness experiences that will have profound impacts in the future of health care services, delivery, training and most importantly, experiences.
About the Health and Technology District:
The Health and Technology District is one of BC’s most rapidly growing health-tech sectors located in Surrey’s emerging innovation ecosystem. It is located directly across from Surrey Memorial Hospital, one of Canada’s busiest hospitals where a collaborative cluster of multinational and star t-up companies,
Conquer Experience is a digital simulation company focused on delivering ‘Education as an Experience’. With deep expertise in UX, VR and simulation gaming, the company has created the Experience Platform that brings learning to life.
“Digital simulation training solution helps clinicians learn surgical instruments” The award winning product PeriopSim (www.periopsim. com) is built on the Experience Platform, available on the iPad, HTC VIVE and Windows Mixed Reality headset and has been used in over 200 North American Hospitals, saving dollars and improving patient safety from day one. PeriopSim digital simulation training solution serves clinicians who need to learn surgical instruments, passing technique, sharps safety, sterile technique and procedures. The product enables surgical staff to practice safely before surgery. www.conquerexperience.com About Stambol Studios: Stambol is a creative technology studio specializing in highly immersive content and interactive applications for architecture & real estate marketing, enterprise and brand engagement applications through Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality. www.stambol.com EPT.CA
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MEDICAL ELECTRONICS
NEW PRODUCTS HIGH POWER DENSITY MEDICAL POWER SUPPLY SAVES ENERGY
HYBRID ACTIVE OPTICAL CABLE SUPPORTS UP TO 12.5GBPS AND 3.3V
HIROSE ELECTRIC BF4-IFC Series high-speed, intra-facility fiber cable (IFC) assembly system supports bidirection optical transmission of 6.25Gbps and unidirection up to 12.5Gbps (6.25Gbps x 2ch). Product integrates the BF4M Series active optical connector into a rugged circular shell with a superior push-pull design for quick and easy mating/ unmating operation. Cable assembly provides built-in E/O on the Tx (transmit) end and an O/E on the Rx (receiver) end. www.hirose.com/us
BICKER BEO-3000M ac-dc switching power supply series saves space in medical devices and medical computer systems. The 3x5” open frame unit is available with precisely regulated dc single output voltages of 12V, 24V, 36V or 48V, which can be fine-tuned in the range of ±5%. A 5V standby and a 12V fan output is also available. Robust products deliver reliable 24/7 continuous operation with an output power of 250 watts fanless or 300 watts with 10 CFM airflow. Units provide a high efficiency of up to 94%, a standby power consumption of less than 0.3 W and an operating temperature range of -40°C to +70°C. www.bicker.de
2W MEDICAL DC-DC CONVERTER COMES IN COMPACT DIP OR SMD PACKAGE
TRACO POWER TIM 2 and TIM 2 SM family of medical 2 Watt dc-dc converters in compact
DIP 16 or SMD 16 package measures 0.95 x 0.57 x 0.40”. TIM 2 series is suitable for healthcare products. Both product families consist of 32 models offering inputs of 4.5~12 / 9~18 / 18~36 / 36~75Vin and outputs of 3.3 / 5 / 9 / 12 / 15 / 24 / ±12 / ±15 Vout. Devices provide reinforced insulation with high isolation of 5,000Vacrms (250Vacrms working voltage) and low leakage of less than 2uA. All models are certified to IEC/ EN/ES 60601-1 3rd Edition. www.tracopower.com
IMAGING SENSOR ENHANCES NIR SENSITIVITY IN EXTREME LOW-LIGHT
ON SEMICONDUCTOR Model KAE-08152 Interline Transfer Electron Multiplying CCD (IT‑EMCCD) image sensor targets extreme low-light applications such as medical and scientific imaging. Device shares the same 8.8 megapixel resolution and 4/3 optical format as existing KAE-08151, but incorporates an enhanced pixel design that doubles Quantum Efficiency for near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths such as 850nm – an enhancement which can be critical in applications such as surveillance, microscopy, and ophthalmology. Product is fully drop-in compatible with the existing device, simplifying adoption. www.onsemi.com
Powering your industrial applications Murata applies world-leading innovation to deliver products with the highest performance, reliability, and functionality for industrial applications. Some of our newer innovations include: 1W DC-DC converter
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PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
FEATURE
Circumventing electronic OEM corrosion headaches JULIE HOLMQUIST, CORTEC CORP. Avoiding corrosion on manufactured components is in the best interest of electronic OEMs for several reasons: maintaining good customer relations, reducing material waste, and ensuring optimum performance of equipment and electrical controls. Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor (VCI) technology can play an important role in circumventing electronics corrosion and the headaches that follow.
Importance of Corrosion Protection
A prime example of the importance of corrosion protection is the reaction of customers to simple discoloration on OEM electronic components. Customers are very sensitive to product abnormalities that increase the risk of corrosion and component failure down the road. After more than 20 years in the electronics industry, Jay Zhang, who now provides corrosion solutions as technical sales manager at Cortec Corp., recognizes how customers can be disturbed by discoloration on circuit boards received. “I often see the customers and the suppliers debate or argue what level of discoloration is acceptable and what’s causing that and what actually is the material on the surface of the metal that shows a different color,” said Zhang. He explained that discoloration theoretically comes from foreign material (sometimes only moisture that has dried on the metal surface), which may or may not eventually cause the basic metal of the circuit board to deteriorate. Zhang said this will depend on the chemical composition of the foreign material and the ultimate environment in which the component will be
placed. Regardless of the final result, the frequent debate over discoloration alone makes one thing clear: avoiding corrosion is a customer priority that will help OEMs avoid tense discussions and strained relationships with clients. Another reason to prevent corrosion is simply to avoid material waste. Zhang also noted that freshly etched copper pcbs are especially vulnerable to corrosion and need to be re-etched if they oxidize. Re-etching can only be done so many times until the copper is no longer thick enough to meet pcb requirements and must be scrapped. This wastes valuable materials and production time. A third reason for corrosion protection is found in the production equipment itself. Certain areas of electronics production, such as wet process rooms, produce especially corrosive environments. Corroded equipment electricals and electronic controls result in more repairs, more
Advantages of VCI Technology for Electronics
There are multiple ways to implement corrosion protection strategies at an electronics OEM. One intriguing technology with important properties for electronics components (particularly those that can be stored in an enclosed space) is VCI, or Volatile Corrosion Inhibitor, technology. VCI technology can be made from organic corrosion inhibitors that have a moderate to high vapor pressure.This vapor pressure allows VCI molecules to sublimate, or vaporize, from a source material (e.g., a powder) into the air. The VCI vapors spread out, naturally travelling toward areas of lower concentration according to Fick’s law of diffusion. When VCI molecules are placed inside an enclosed space, they eventually reach a level of equilibrium, at which point they are attracted to metal surfaces inside the space. They condense there and form an invisible layer of protection on the metal surfaces. The layer is hydrophobic and protects the surface of the metal from interacting with corrosive VCI molecules (brand name, VpCI) diffuse and form elements such as a protective molecular layer on metal surfaces moisture and inside an enclosed space. chlorides.
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downtime, and shortened service life. A smaller investment in corrosion protection now can pay off in the future with long term savings from extended equipment service life and less downtime.
VCI molecules are so small that they do not interfere with the performance of electronics. Additionally, the same vapor pressure that allows VCIs to fill an enclosed space and form a protective molecular layer on the surfaces allows the VCI protective layer to naturally leave the metal surfaces after the molecules are no longer trapped in an enclosed space. This makes protection both clean and dry without the need for a special coating. VCI Another advantage of over traditional electronics protection is its ability to travel through the air by vapor pressure and form a protective layer in the small crevasses and contours of intricate electronics, protecting spaces that might be easily missed when using a traditional coating. VCI can also enhance the performance of electronics and electricals by reducing the buildup of corrosion products and reducing electronic noise.
Adapting VCI to Practical Formats
VCI technology is available in many practical forms to adapt to different OEM situations and budgets. An especially important form is VCI packaging materials for use in temporary storage or shipment. An example of how VCI packaging can be used during the manufacturing process is the temporary storage of pcbs. Often, freshly etched pcbs must sit overnight or longer before moving to the next stage in the manufacturing process. During this time the pcbs can be layered with VCI coated paper between the boards to protect against copper oxidation. Other partially finished electronic components can also be interleaved with VCI paper as they are stacked in work bins to await additional work and transport from work station to work station. VCI paper can be combined with ESD properties to protect sensitive components from static discharge. During shipment, fluctuating temperatures and humidity can cause moisture buildup, one of the main causes of concern for corrosion inside packaged electronics. This is commonly addressed by adding desiccant to EPT.CA
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the package to absorb the moisture. However, depending on the shipping environment, this is not always sufficient. VCI provides an added safeguard against goods being returned with corrosion claims. This extra protection can be easily added by throwing pouches of VCI combined with desiccant into an electronics package, or by wrapping the entire electronic in VCI paper or film with ESD protection.
technology has a unique compatibility with electronics due to its small particle size and its
invisible layer of protection that does not need to be manually cleaned off the surface before component use. VCI ESD film packaging adds an extra measure of protection against electronics being returned for corrosion claims. Cortec Image
Cutting Corrosion Maintenance Costs
It adds an extra measure of safety for electronic goods in temporary in-process storage or shipment. It is also a practical consideration for electrical and electronic controls supporting the electronics manufacturing process, helping to provide smoother services and extend the service life of assets. www.cortecvci.com Visit ept.ca for the latest new products, news and industry events.
VCI technology can also be a very useful strategy for electrical boxes and controls anywhere in an OEM plant, but especially for controls located in highly corrosive environments like the wet process room.VCI emitters work in the standard VCI fashion when placed inside a control box: VCI molecules diffuse and form an invisible protective layer on metal components. A very thin coating that contains VCI and also provides protection through direct contact with the coating can also be sprayed on control panels. Protecting electronic and electrical controls in these ways will reduce maintenance costs and downtime by decreasing the frequency of failure and the need to replace electrical contacts, switches, and relays.
Conclusion
Corrosion protection is an important strategy for electronic OEMs in terms of fostering good customer relationships, avoiding raw material waste, and extending equipment service life. VCI
UniStrip 2300
Strip Wires and Jacketed Cables with Ease The UniStrip 2300 stripping machine strips a wide variety of wires and jacketed cables. It’s fully programmable and doesn’t require any mechanical adjustments when processing different wire sizes and types. This innovative machine combines precision mechanics, short cycle times, and user-friendliness for increased productivity. With features such as networking capability, program back-up to USB, and illuminated work area, the versatility of the UniStrip 2300 sets the standard for benchtop wire stripping. Replacing normal desiccant with combination VCI/desiccant pouches is an easy way to enhance corrosion protection of electronics. Cortec Image.
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@EPTmagazine
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PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT
NEW PRODUCTS
ROBOTIC SOLDERING SYSTEM REDUCES RISK, BOOSTS PRODUCTIVITY
EMX ENTERPRISES Metcal CV Robotic Soldering System reduces risk and increases productivity by combining firm’s patented CV technology with a new Smart Interface System. Product reduces unnecessary dwell time by signalling to the system to move to
the programming process by integrating system controls through an easy to use interface. www.emx.ca
DIGITAL MICROSCOPES INTRODUCES NEXT GEN VISUAL INSPECTION
the next solder joint in the program after a good joint is formed. The Smart Interface System simplifies
VISION ENGINEERING EVO Cam II next-generation digital microscope is suitable for close inspection and recording of high resolution images, providing user customizable overlays, on-board
42 Thousand Servers. 21 Megawatts of Power. Zero Margin of Error.
measurement and Wi-Fi image transfer - all supported by a 30:1 optical zoom and a maximum magnification in excess of 3,600x. High definition images can be captured and stored directly to a USB memory stick. When connected to a PC, images and video can be easily captured, stored and shared. A Wi-Fi dongle even allows direct sharing with PCs, laptops, tablet computers and smartphones. Simple on-screen measurement can be performed with the aid of virtual calipers and scalable grids. Unit provides optical magnification range of 1.7x - 300x and a maximum magnification including digital zoom 3600x. www.visioneng.com
METAL EMBOSSING MACHINE EXPEDITES PROCESSING
PANDUIT PES400 Metal Embossing Machine is four times faster than firm’s previous model. Unit provides expanded marker plate and cable tie compatibility along with two available font sizes (3mm and 5mm). Product exceeds the maximum amount of characters of competitive products and the 3mm font size up to 25
characters fits on one line and up to 75 characters on a plate. Unit is compatible with all marker plates and tags of the previous model. It handles smaller and larger plates and tags and offers new 3-up and 4up marker plate configurations. Featuring a sturdy, heavy- duty design for use in harsh environments, product has an improved external hopper design. www.panduit.com
When you’re managing a data center that draws more power than a small city, you can’t afford a meltdown. At Positronic, we build high reliability, power-efficient connectors. But our true call is to provide certainty. Rock solid, mission-critical performance upon which you can bank life and limb, family and fortune. We consider it an honor. We consider it an inviolable trust.
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SEMICONDUCTORS & ICs
FEATURE
Cheaper and easier methods discovered in making plastic semiconductors
University of Waterloo chemists make a breakthrough in developing flexible and sustainable plastic semis at a lower cost Cheap, flexible and sustainable plastic semiconductors will soon be a reality thanks to a breakthrough by chemists at the University of Waterloo. Professor Derek Schipper and his team at Waterloo have developed a way to make conjugated polymers, plastics that conduct electricity like metals, using a simple dehydration reaction the only byproduct of which is water. “Nature has been using this reaction for billions of years and industry more than a hundred,” said Schipper, a professor of Chemistry and a Canada Research Chair in Organic Material Synthesis. “It’s one of the cheapest and most environmentally friendly reactions for producing plastics.” Schipper and his team have successfully applied this reaction to create poly(hetero)arenes, one
of the most studied classes of conjugated polymers that have been used to make lightweight, low- cost electronics such as solar cells, LED displays, and chemical and biochemical sensors. Dehydration is a common method to make polymers, a chain of repeating molecules or monomers that link up like a train.
Bio Building Blocks
Nature uses the dehydration reaction to make complex sugars from glucose, as well as proteins and other biological building blocks, such as cellulose. Plastics manufacturers use it to make everything from nylon to polyester, cheaply and in mind-boggling bulk. “Synthesis has been a long-standing problem in this field,” said Schipper. “A dehydration method such as ours will
Model of a molecular structure that has undergone the dehydration process.
streamline the entire process from discovery of new derivatives to commercial product development. Better still, the reaction proceeds relatively fast and at room temperature.” Conjugated polymers were first discovered by Alan Heeger, Alan McDonald, and Hideki
Shirakawa in the late 1970s, eventually earning them the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2000. Researchers and engineers quickly discovered several new polymer classes with plenty of commercial applications, including a semiconducting version of the material; but progress has stalled in reaching markets in large part because conjugated polymers are so hard to make. The multi-step reactions often involve expensive catalysts and produce environmentally harmful waste products. Schipper and his team are continuing to perfect the technique, while also working on developing dehydration synthesis methods for other classes of conjugated polymers. The results of their research so far appeared recently in the journal Chemistry – A European Journal.
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SEMICONDUCTORS & ICs
NEW PRODUCTS
SOC SUPPORTS ZIGBEE FOR SMART HOME APPLICATIONS
25GBPS LASER DIODES SERVE 4.9G AND 5G LTE BASE STATIONS
RENESAS ELECTRONICS RV2X6376A Series of directly modulated laser (DML) diodes deliver 25Gbps x four wavelengths as the light source in 100Gbps optical transceivers that enable high-speed communications inside 4.9G and 5G LTE base stations and between data center routers and servers. Devices support full 25Gbps speed (per individual laser) and industrial temperature (-40°C to 95°C) without cooling. Products are designed into compact 100Gbps QSFP28 optical transceiver modules that use conventional NRZ modulation. Devices are compatible with the Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM4) standard that specifies four lanes of 25 Gbps optically multiplexed onto and demultiplexed from duplex single mode fiber. renesas.com
5.5V DC-DC STEP-DOWN POWER MODULE DELIVERS TRUE 6A PERFORMANCE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS TPSM82480 5.5-V dc-dc step-down power module delivers true, continuous 6-A output current with up to 95% efficiency. Module integrates power metal-oxide semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and shielded inductors into a tiny, low-profile footprint for space- and height-constrained applications. Device maintains the required 6-A output current over the full temperature range without additional airflow. www.ti.com/tpsm82480-pr
NORDIC SEMICONDUCTOR Zigbee wireless connectivity solution for use with firm’s nRF52840 multiprotocol System-on-Chip (SoC) with the S140 v6.0 SoftDevice (‘stack’) can support concurrent Zigbee and Bluetooth 5/Bluetooth Low Energy operation. The production grade Zigbee 3.0-certified device expands firm’s portfolio of mesh networking products (including Bluetooth mesh and Thread) for smart home, enterprise, industry. www.nordicsemi.com
SECURE AUTHENTICATOR IC DELIVERS A CRYPTOGRAPHIC SOLUTION
NXP NXP Semi A1006- Secure Authenticator IC is manufactured in a high
density sub-micron technology. The tamper resistant device delivers a cryptographic solution intended to be used by device manufacturers to prove the authenticity of their genuine products. Solution is a complete embedded security platform for electronic accessories, mobile phones, portable devices, computing and consumer electronic devices and embedded systems where a strong security infrastructure is required. Device provides an improved level of security, while overcoming the challenges of performance, power consumption and solution footprint. docstore.nxp.com
MMIC MIXERS LOWER CONVERSION LOSS
CUSTOM MMIC CMD253C3, CMD254C3, and CMD255C3 monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) are high performance IP3 fundamental mixers that provide overlapping RF/LO frequencies spanning 6GHz to 26GHz, with each model demonstrating low conversion loss high IP3,
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Prototype to Production Volumes | IC Sockets | Adapters | Board to Board Connectors 24 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY / June / July 2018
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June / July 2018 / EP&T 25
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TEARDOWN Nest Hello video doorbell packs some heat BY JIM MIELKE, VP TEARDOWNS, ABI RESEARCH
Smart home devices were added to ABI Research’s teardown service in 2015 when smart home products starting demanding attention. Video doorbells are the latest craze in the smart home market because they offer a new level of home security.
Connectivity
The Nest Hello main connectivity is supplied by Cypress through a component (CYW4354 previously known as BCM4354) it acquired as part of their acquisition of Broadcom’s connectivity solutions in mid-2016. The connectivity chip includes WiFi, BT, and FM although the FM is not used
in this application. But don’t discount FM yet, it would be nice to play background music for the person waiting at the door. The main chip is supported by three front-ends (LNAs and switches) from Skyworks (Sky85608, sky85203, and sky66107).
Sensors
There are three sensors in the Nest
Hello. A camera imager provided by Sony (IMX123LQT) that supports both visible light and IR light, a Goertek mems microphone, and a light sensor. Nest does make use of the IR and RGB capability of the imager by providing both a day and night camera operation. RGB mode is used during the day and IR at night. During night mode (determined by the
26 ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS & TECHNOLOGY / June / July 2018
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Amazon’s recent acquisition of Ring and Google’s 2016 acquisition of Nest ramped up the race for consumers to know who’s knocking. Here are some of the details surrounding the Nest Hello.
light sensor), an actuator on the lens inserts an IR filter between the lens and the sensor and IR lEDs on flood the area with IR light.
Audio and Power management
The main portion of the audio section is an audio hub from Cirrus Logic (CS47L24). The audio hub includes an audio codec,
dual core DSP, audio switch, and audio amp. The power management in the Nest Hello is very discreet including regulators, drivers and amps from TI and Maxim, a bank of buck converters from MPS. Deep inside the Nest Hello is a heater. That’s right, a heater. Since the Nest Hello is an outdoor device that is to be used in many climates,
Nest decided to improve the normal operating temperature range by including a heater made of a flex circuit.
single chip solution from Kingston. The chip provides both RAM and eMMc Flash memory.
Application processor
Ambarella supplies the video processor for the system (S2L63). The S2L63 hosts an ARM Cortex-A9 core processor and a 1080p ISP. The processor memory is provided by a
These findings are from ABI Research’s Teardowns (https://teardowniq. com). EPT.CA
2018-06-01 12:32 PM
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