Electronics News October 2012

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news Australia’s Premier Electronics Magazine

www.electronicsnews.com.au INSIDE

OCTOBER 12

Brain power How a gaming system gave researchers unprecedented access to the brain.

Page 10 News 4

Quick switch acquisition Siemens acquires Aussie R&D company, along with the world’s fastest switch Technology 7

Solar collaboration Two big players in photovoltaics team up with UNSW for tech development Design Corner 15

MCU power control Understand MCU power usage and optimise energy efficiency Feature 16

What employers want Are students learning the skills they need at university, and what do employers really look for?

Feature 19

The next dimension 3D ICs may help transcend Moore’s Law, but face complex problems

Post Print Approved PP255003/00319

Event Report 25

ElectroneX 2012 Who was there, the highlights, the feedback, and next year

Design | Communications | Environmental | Industrial | Research | Medical | Consumer

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NEWS

EDITOR’S MESSAGE

Education is key to our tech future

Published five times a year Reed Business Information Pty Ltd Tower 2, 475 Victoria Avenue Chatswood NSW 2067 Tel: (02) 9422 2999 Fax: (02) 9422 2977 www.electronicsnews.com.au ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER Martin Sinclair Email: martin.sinclair@reedbusiness.com.au EDITOR Kevin Gomez Tel: (02) 9422 2976 kevin.gomez@reedbusiness.com.au DEPUTY EDITOR Isaac Leung Tel: (02) 9422 2956 isaac.leung@reedbusiness.com.au

Kevin Gomez Editor

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• Communications / Networks • Test & Measurement • Thermal Management • PCB Design

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As I type up this column, many industry observers and commentators are up in arms, decrying the decision of several state governments to cut spending on education. All this while industry has been crying itself hoarse about the skills shortage facing the country!

But while we slash funding, there are others who innovate and develop novel cost-effective solutions.

Take the case of US-based Virginia Tech that has 628 undergraduate students enrolled in their electronics engineering related course. All of them need lab time – the catch is that the Department has just 48 lab seats. Even with smart scheduling, giving each student three lab hours per week poses a challenge.

Our local politicians and bureaucrats would have solved the problem by slashing student intake to match the lab seats. Virginia Tech created a virtual lab.

Their Lab-in-a-box contains a software oscilloscope, breadboard, digital multimeter and assorted components allowing students to work through projects online and hands-on at their own convenience.

The cost per student is said to be similar to the price of a textbook.

Australia needs innovative, costeffective solutions; shuttering our training institutions solely on the basis of reducing expenditure is going to harm the country immensely in the long run.

And we do have innovators in our midst, as evidenced by the outstanding projects entered into the 8th Annual Future Awards. Among the winners was a smart solar project that combined both

photovoltaic power generation and solar water heating in a single module. In fact that company, Successful Endeavours, went on to win the top award in the Communications category as well.

Another standout was QuickFire Pyrotechnic System designed by LX Design House. Their client, Elite Fireworks, was seeking a flexible and reliable pyrotechnics initiation system which assists in the delivery of basic and complex fireworks displays. And LX delivered a remarkable system. At the Awards, I spoke with the CEO of Elite Fireworks – he plans to take the system global as he is convinced this locally-developed solution is one of the best in the world.

A notable feature of the Future Awards is the Student category and we regularly receive quality entries from up and coming engineers all around the country. In this regard, I must commend La Trobe University for consistently sending in a number of interesting entries every year. They must be fortunate to have a vigorous electronics engineering programme that is well-supported by a dedicated faculty.

I must thank our sponsors Rohde & Schwarz, element14, Kontron and Electronex for supporting the Future Awards and the Roundtable this year.

This Holiday Season, the team at Electronics News wishes all its readers a safe and enjoyable Christmas and New Year. We will be back with even more interesting content in 2013. kevin.gomez@reedbusiness.com.au

Available from Hi-Q Electronics Limited

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NEWS

IN BRIEF

TSMC REBUFFS EXCLUSIVITY WITH APPLE, QUALCOMM BLOOMBERG has reported that Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) was approached

by Apple and Qualcomm recently to become each company’s exclusive semiconductor provider.

TSMC refused both offers, which totalled more than US$1 billion.

Apple and Qualcomm were looking to get exclusive access to semiconductor chips for mobile devices, and perhaps more importantly, lock out their competition in the highly combative smartphone market.

Apple may be looking for alternative semiconductor sources due to its acrimonious relationship with Samsung.

TSMC currently supplies a wide range of electronics companies, and opted for flexibility, especially important due to the constant changes in the electronics industry – the popularity of the smartphone may very well give way to another wave, with different big-players.

However, TSMC did not rule out the possibility of a deal where it would dedicate one or two of its fabs to a single customer.

The boom in business for TSMC has also put it in good financial position, so it did not need the cash offered

by Apple and Qualcomm.

AXIS COMMUNICATIONS OPENS NEW OFFICES AXIS Communications has expanded its presence in Australia and New Zealand, with new sales offices in Brisbane and Wellington.

According to Axis Communications Oceania country manager Wai King Wong, this expansion comes after a strong period of growth.

“We have seen demand for our products skyrocket over the last few years as IP surveillance has transformed from a nascent, raw technology to a mainstream, affordable and reliable solution,” said Wong.

“We have decided to expand to enable us to work more closely with our partners to provide full scale solutions across more geographical locations across Australia and New Zealand.

Earlier in 2012, Axis Communications announced the Axis Camera Companion, a software for managing IP network surveillance in smaller installations such as homes and SMEs.

4 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

INDUSTRIAL

Fast switch acquired SIEMENS has acquired Queenslandbased R&D firm Kaon Holdings, along with its advanced circuit breaker technology for overhead power lines.

More than 80 percent of temporary power supply interruptions and outages are caused by severe weather conditions that result in trees or other debris making contact with the overhead lines.

The Fusesaver technology from Kaon Holdings is said to be the world’s fastest switching technology, capable of reconnecting the supply of electricity almost instantaneously.

Fusesaver can not only avoid lengthy outage, but also works with a remote detection system to pinpoint precisely where the fault occurred.

This provides better visibility into the network, and also ensures technicians can be sent to the right place.

According to Siemens, the technology is valuable, because having been developed in Australia, it has

Fusesaver technology from Kaon Holdings is the world’s fastest switching technology. been tested in local conditions, which makes it suited for coping with the world’s most challenging and remote geographic locations.

Australia, which has over 800,000km of distribution power lines and a high frequency of outages, also stands to benefit from the technology.

The company claims this acquisi-

www.siemens.com.au

ENVIRONMENT

ENVIRONMENT

Silanna gets Clean Technology grant

Local LED lighting innovator expands NSW-based LED lighting solutions company enLighten Australia has expanded its business to WA and NT. The company is known for its Chamaeleon, a specialty light for low occupancy spaces which reduces energy consumption by as much as 93 percent through an intelligent LED-centric design and automatic on-demand controls.

In the 2011 to 2012 financial year, enLighten says it increased its sales by 450 percent, with a number of commercial property clients taking up its Chamaeleon light on a national basis. These include big building names such as Colonial First State Asset Management, DEXUS, General Property Trust, AMP Capital and Mirvac.

High rise residential strata and community housing have been strong growth sectors, with enLighten successfully winning three rounds of commercial tenders for common area

tion expands the Siemens mediumvoltage portfolio and marks the establishment of a centre of competence for Australian research and development specialising in future energy distribution solutions.

Kaon employees will join Siemens and will continue to be based at Loganholme in Queensland. Q

enLighten Australia’s Chamaeleon is used for low occupancy spaces. lighting upgrades in NSW Land and Housing Corporation properties.

NSW-based enLighten launched its Victorian office in March 2012, and now has started operations in Western Australia and the Northern Territory through the appointment of a distributor and is already fielding enquiries from commercial and mining clients. Q www.enlighten.com.au

SYDNEY-based technology firm Silanna Semiconductor has been awarded a $235,950 Federal grant from the Clean Technology Investment Program to cut its energy use and carbon emissions by more than 21 percent. The grant funding is on a 1:1 ratio, so Silanna Semiconductor will have to match the amount provided by the government with its own investment.

Silanna, which makes microelectronic circuits for satellites, and mobile phone infrastructure, will be able to save $60,000 every year on its energy bills.

Silanna will upgrade its on-site lighting systems, replace an existing air-cooled chiller with a water-cooled unit and make improvements to its power factor correction unit.

Silanna is based in the Sydney Olympic Park, and is involved in developing high performance integrated circuits on the advanced Silicon-on-Sapphire platform. Q www.silanna.com

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NEWS

3

Re -inforced Isolation The ultimate reinforced DC/DC firewall for IGBT and Medical Applications!

RESEARCH

Solar collaboration

Reinforced Isolation from 5.2kVDC to 10kVDC Available with asymmetric dual outputs (+15V / -9V) Efficiency up to 86% Compact DIP24 and SIP7 case Ultracompact transformer with Re3-Inforced Technology UL-, CSA-, EN 60601-certified The research will be carried out at the two large solar power plants in NSW. THE UNIVERSITY of Queensland and the University of New South Wales will collaborate to carry out research at two large solar photovoltaic projects in NSW. The research will be carried out at the 106MW Nyngan and 53MW Broken Hill solar power plants, which are being funded by the Solar Flagships program.

In June, AGL Energy was announced as the successful bidder, with First Solar supplying its advanced, thin-film CdTe PV modules and providing engineering, procurement and construction services for the project.

The research by UQ and UNSW will be supported by a $40.7 million Education Investment Fund Research Infrastructure Program.

This funding will be used to build a Power Systems Interface Research Facility to investigate significant areas related to the successful integration of solar PV stations into Australia’s electricity grid.

The program means there will be ongoing research at the PV pilot plant focused on energy storage, plant optimisation, power systems and the impact of renewable energy on the national electricity market.

UQ’s partnership with UNSW is also strategic, considering the latter’s leadership in photovoltaic research for almost 30 years. UQ is pushing into energy research, with renewable energy being a key topic and part of the curriculum. Q www.uq.edu.au www.unsw.edu.au

INDUSTRIAL

congatec expands to Australia GERMAN manufacturer of embedded computer modules congatec AG has opened a new office in Queensland as the latest step in its global expansion plan. congatec is now directly represented with six offices on four continents – Asia (Taiwan and Japan), Australia, Europe (Germany and Czech Republic) and North America (United States).

Alvin Tan, is the newly appointed country manager for Australia and New Zealand, and he was present at congatec’s stall at the ElectroneX show from 12 to 13 September 2012

in Sydney.

“I see a big potential...in the Australian market, particularly in the gaming, agricultural equipment, traffic control and medical technology sectors, where congatec products are an excellent fit,” said Tan. congatec is an experienced leader in designing and manufacturing embedded computer modules. Its products feature cutting-edge technologies, including the Intel Pentium M processor line and a versatile and flexible BIOS. The company also provides display technology. Q

Learn more about RECOM products at www.recomasia.com Email: enquiry@recomasia.com | Tel: +65 6276-8795

www.congatec.com www.electronicsnews.com.au OCTOBER 2012 5

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NEWS

IN BRIEF

INDUSTRIAL

SILEX PESSIMISTIC ON PV SILEX revealed that its photovoltaic sales more than halved between this year and last year, justifying its decision to shelf its photovoltaic panel making plant at Sydney Olympic Park.

Silex Solar made sales of $8,063,520 this year, compared to $19,136,713 in the previous year.

Silex remains pessimistic about the Australian photovoltaic panel market, which has been hard hit by the discontinuation of government subsidies and feed-in tariff programs.

However, Silex has other sources of revenue, with activities in concentrating photovoltaic technology for utility-scale energy production.

Silex’s core technology is Separation of Isotopes by Laser Excitation (SILEX), which utilises lasers to produce enriched uranium. The technology has been licensed by GE for testing at an enrichment plant in the US, with approvals by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Atomic Safety and Licensing Board pending, but probable.

Ampcontrol buys Primate AUSTRALIA’s largest privatelyowned electrical engineering company, Ampcontrol, has acquired automation and process control firm Primatec QDA. Ampcontrol provides electronic products and complete electrical solutions to the mining, infrastructure, utilities and energy sectors.

Primatec specialises in automation, process control and software solutions to the mining, industrial and utility markets.

With the shared market, Ampcontrol CEO and Managing Director Geoff Lilliss says the acquisition will boost its efficiencies and product offering.

“The acquisition of Primatec enables us to further grow the Ampcontrol business into areas where we are seeing demand. The technology solutions provided by Primatec will be a significant value-

Fast frequency hopping + Multicode technology = superior transmitters & receivers

Ampcontrol Group as Ampcontrol Automation. The acquisition is effective immediately, with employees offered ongoing employment with the new owners. Q www.ampcontrol.com.au

Traffic signal exports

Use up to 8 in the same area without interference

BLDE980

Up to 16 open collector or relay outputs

6 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

add for Ampcontrol customers as they complement our existing products,” said Lilliss.

Ampcontrol has acquired the business and assets of Primatec QDA and the company will operate under the COMMUNICATIONS

s Endles ns! io t a c appli

Hand held • Up to 16 channels 12 way dipswitch or encrypted coding Low cost • Over 350m operating range

Ampcontrol’s acquisition of Primatec QDA is expected to complement its existing products and business.

AUSTRALIA-based Traffic Technologie says its subsidiary, Aldridge Traffic Systems, will supply and install LED traffic signals to cities and counties in the UK, under three separate supply agreements.

Peterborough City Council in the east of England has entered into a contract to install LED traffic signals using the company’s technology.

The company is also exporting LED traffic signals to the County of Cheshire, and pedestrian countdown timers to the City of Hull.

These exports are worth over $0.5m, and follow on from the supply agreement announced earlier in 2012 with “Transport for London” for the supply of pedestrian countdown timers. The first batch of timers were installed at intersections in London in time for the Olympics.

Aldridge Traffic Systems is based in Victoria, and has a manufacturing centre at Rhodes in NSW.. The

The company makes LED-based traffic signalling solutions. company designs, manufactures and supplies products for the traffic signalling industry, including portable roadside technology, emergency telephones and road lighting. Q www.aldridgetraffic.com.au

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TECHNOLOGY Name Hector Guajardo Betancourt, Certified LabVIEW Architect Job Title Automated Test and Control Engineer

ENVIRONMENT

Area of Expertise Manufacturing Test

PV processing technology

LabVIEW Helped Me Reduce test time by more than 10X

NI LabVIEW

Two rival solar companies are working together due to a UNSW process promising faster solar cell manufacturing.

A

N UNSW-developed solar panel processing technology has resulted in a collaboration between Suntech Power and Hanwha Solar.

The two photovoltaic manufacturers were interested in the technology from the UNSW School of Photovoltaics and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE), whereby tiny metal contact regions can be “selfpatterned” into a solar cell’s electric insulator, which rests between the silicon wafer and the aluminium back-plate.

“Currently closely-spaced smallarea metal contact regions in an insulating layer can only be formed by deliberately patterning the holes with a laser scanning over the surface, which is quite slow,” says Dr Alison Lennon, a senior lecturer from SPREE. “Other methods, such as aerosol and ink-jet printing, have been explored, however currently these

methods are currently too slow and have not been able to demonstrate the required patterning reliability.”

Lennon and her PhD students are investigating a radical approach to automate and quicken this patterning, using aluminium anodisation, a process where a chemical coating is formed on a metal surface to protect against corrosion.

When aluminium is anodised, a porous insulating layer is formed on it. This effectively turns an aluminium layer on a silicon solar cell into a dielectric layer with lots of little holes.

The UNSW team has made prototypes of cells using this technique, and are now working on understanding how the metal contacts form in order to improve cell efficiencies. They are also refining the technique so it can produce competitive results on an industrial scale, whchis what Suntech and Hanwha are interested in. Q

LabVIEW makes me better because I can deliver

www.unsw.edu.au

on time, on spec and on budget RESEARCH

Magneto-optic/silicon integration breakthrough PANORAMA Synergy, alongside the University of Western Australia (UWA), has achieved a significant advance in the development of its magneto-optic technology.

The Microelectronics Research Group at the UWA is working together with Panorama Synergy’s R&D department on the integration of magneto-optic material with standard silicon chip technology.

The researchers confirmed the crystallisation, in a plasma, of fully substituted bismuth iron garnet material on fused quartz at 420 degrees Celsius.

This is the lowest temperature on record, and allows, for the first time, the integration of optical devices and interconnects with standard silicon integrated circuits, without damaging the chip.

Previously, crystallisation was only possible at temperatures over 580 degrees Celsius, during which the chip is damaged.

Panorama Synergy is engaging in this R&D process in order to develop a solid-state, electronic optical switch that would be 1000 times faster than existing technologies. Q

>>

Find out how LabVIEW can make you better at ni.com/labview/better

Australia: 1800 300 800 New Zealand: 0800 553 322

©2012 National Instruments. All rights reserved. LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 05591

www.panoramasynergy.com www.electronicsnews.com.au OCTOBER 2012 7

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TECHNOLOGY

MEDICAL

Prototype bionic eye implanted BIONIC Vision Australia researchers have successfully performed the first implantation of an early prototype bionic eye with 24 electrodes.

The patient was one Dianne Ashworth, who has an inherited condition called retinitis pigmentosa, resulting in profound vision loss.

A surgical team implanted the prototype at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Implanted behind the retina, the device has with a small lead wire extending from the back of the eye to a connector behind the ear.

Notably, the prototype does not incorporate an external camera yet, since it is for laboratory testing.

Instead, an external system is connected to implant in the laboratory, allowing researchers to stimulate the implant in a controlled

manner in order to study the flashes of light, with help from Ashworth.

They are using 24 signals to create simple patterns for Ashworth and two other patients to identify.

In July, after waiting for the eye to completely recover from the effects of surgery, researchers switched on Ashworth’s implant at the Bionics Institute. According to Ashworth, the implant allowed her to “see a little flash”.

“Every time there was stimulation there was a different shape that appeared in front of my eye,” Ashworth said.

According to Professor Emeritus David Penington AC, Chairman of Bionic Vision Australia, the results fulfilled the team’s expectations.

The next steps involve using the current implant to ‘build’ images

The device was implanted behind the retina of the patient. for Ms Ashworth by testing various levels of electrical simulation, and observing how her brain interprets shapes, brightness, size and locations of the flashes.

Feedback from Ms Ashworth will allow researchers to develop a vision processor so that images can be built using flashes of light. While the vision may not be the same quality

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8 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

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as human sight, it will be enough to give vision-impaired patients a degree of mobility.

Bionic Vision Australia gave credit to its multi-disciplinary research team, the Bionics Institute, and surgeons at the Centre for Eye Research Australia.

In particular, Professor Rob Shepherd, Director of the Bionics Institute, led the team in designing, building and testing this early prototype to ensure its safety and efficacy for human implantation.

Researchers continue development and testing of the wide-view implant with 98 electrodes and the high acuity implant with 1024 electrodes, but Bionic Vision Australia has not provided a date for patient tests for these devices. Q www.bionicvision.org.au

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Terms & Conditions Your subscription may be tax deductible, ask your accountant. ABN 80 132 719 861. Please note RBI has a no refund policy, contact Customer Service for details on 130 360 126. *Based on previous $99 annual subscription price. All prices are quoted in Australian Dollars and GST inclusive. We are committed to handling your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act www.reedbusiness.com.au/privacy.asp

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FEATURE

MEDICAL

Game changer An Australian start-up is making waves in the brain research community with its low-cost electroencephalography headset. Isaac Leung writes

M

OST INVENTIONS start their lives as expensive technology in the hands of a few, and trickle down to the masses. But not all those consumers end up using the technology in the way the designer intended. And that can lead to lucrative new opportunities for the manufacturer.

A well-known example is the Microsoft Kinect, which has been hailed as a breakthrough in enabling third party development of interactive applications. Since its original release as a gaming peripheral in 2010, the Kinect has been appropriated by researchers and artists for a variety of purposes.

But sometimes the alternative uses that a device is put to greatly overshadows the original intended purpose. This is the case for an Australian start-up that specialises in interfacing the human brain with a computer or other electronics.

Emotiv’s electroencephalography (EEG) headset was initially marketed for use as a game controller and peripheral.

However, because the device enables unprecedented access to the functioning of the brain, it has opened up a wave of possibilities for the medical research community, and helped to boost the quality of life of many disabled users.

Emotiv’s EEG headset, the EPOC, was originally marketed as a game controller.

A well-thought build Emotiv was founded in Sydney in 2003 by technology entrepreneurs Tan Le, Nam Do and Professor Allen Snyder from the University of Sydney. The firm was assisted by a Commercial Ready Grant from the Federal government, as well as the R&D Tax Offsets scheme.

The original goal of the company was to pioneer more realistic and human-friendly computer interfaces using mental cues and unconscious responses from the user. To do this, the company envisioned a low-cost, 10 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

SHORTCUTS:

consumer-friendly, wireless, multichannel EEG headset.

Emotiv targeted its initial product towards gaming applications, because that market promised volume sales and high earning potential. Additionally, gaming provides a good benchmark for

the system’s user-friendliness and robustness during everyday use.

According to Dr Geoff Mackellar, CEO of Emotiv Research and Chief Technology Officer for Emotiv Lifesciences, the headset was developed in-house using an Altium EDA package for layout and simulation.

Q The EPOC was originally marketed for a gaming audience.

Q The headset provides affordable and practical access to EEG data.

Q Various research and development licenses are available.

Q Limitations include lack of medical approval and compliance.

Q Emotiv is hoping to build a database of EEG data from its users.

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FEATURE

For brain signal acquisition, Emotiv engineers used a highquality front-end amplifier system, multiplexed to a 16-bit analogue-todigital converter (ADC) that passes samples at 2048Hz/channel to a Microchip dSPIC processor. The data is then processed, filtered and down-sampled to 128Hz/channel and is wirelessly transmitted to a custom USB receiver using an ultra low power Nordic 2.4GHz RF chipset.

According to the designers, a key goal for the headset was to achieve the lowest possible power consumption at the best available price.

The headset also had to have a good signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) with high signal fidelity from micro- to milli-volt levels across a frequency range spanning 0.2 to 45Hz. To achieve that goal, Emotiv tested over 50 input amplifier and ADC combinations, and benchmarked the resulting signals against a $30,000 medical EEG system. All wired connections in the system were hard soldered for durability and to eliminate to cost of connectors.

“Where necessary, we used more expensive components but we targeted a low bill of materials (BOM) from the start and worked to hit our target,” Dr Mackellar explained. “We spent a lot of time and money in the design phase to ensure the manufactured cost would be as low as possible.”

To ensure signal fidelity, Emotiv employed a variety of noise mitigation techniques. The primary source of noise in “biosignals” is the common-mode pickup from the 50 or 60-Hz mains together with significant harmonics. To counter this, the system uses a common-mode feedback system where a reference electrode signal is inverted and passed back to the body through a second reference electrode, effectively “floating” the detection circuit on top of the common-mode signal.

This technique, common with high-end medical EEG and electro-

EPOC is a more realistic and userfriendly computer interface allowing better access to brain signals.

cardiogram (ECG) systems, provides around 55dB of common mode rejection at 50Hz. Data is collected from each sensor at an elevated frequency, and each channel is then sampled at 2048Hz to capture all of the mains harmonics within the Nyquist range.

Two additional digital filters are then used to eliminate mains-related frequencies and other interference before down-sampling to 128Hz per channel. A standard low-pass filter with a cut-off around 85Hz removes all of the harmonics from the signal without interfering with the brain signal, and a dual-notch digital filter at 50 and 60Hz attenuates residual mains fundamental frequencies below 85dB. As a result, the system maintains a Least Significant Bit sensitivity of 0.5uV enabling it recover brain inputs effectively.

In 2009, after successfully developing the hardware, Emotiv released

the developer EPOC headset with 14 saline sensors, wireless communications running a proprietary protocol, and 12 hours of use via a 600-mAh lithium battery.

The headset is capable of detecting four mental states, 13 conscious thoughts and facial expressions (through electromyography, the recording of electrical activity of muscle tissue). In addition, the device uses two gyroscopes to sense head movements.

The headset is complemented by the company’s detection suite software, which is able to read and interpret thoughts and intents, without requiring access to the raw EEG data. The software was intended for people interested in making applications for the device, and resulted in 20 applications being developed.

A community grows “As soon as we released the devel-

oper model, we suddenly got a lot interest from researchers all over the world asking us to make an EEG-enabled product,” said Dr Mackellar. “So we released [the researcher edition a month or two after the initial developer sales.”

Today, Emotiv sells applications (‘apps’) for brain-controlled photo viewing, brain mapping, games and brain-controlled keyboards, plus developer tools. And a visit to the company’s support forums provides a glimpse of the buzz of activity surrounding the headset. Carers, researchers and developers post on the board for assistance in using the EPOC headset for various purposes.

One thread discusses the use of the system to train children with Down Syndrome, another, the control of a robotic arm, and yet another talks about allowing quadriplegics to communicate and interact by use of their brain. >> www.electronicsnews.com.au OCTOBER 2012 11

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FEATURE

MEDICAL

In addition to more than 20 published papers centred around the device, Dr Mackellar says thousands of research projects around the world are using the EPOC system.

One notable project is a braincontrolled wheelchair, led by Steve Castelloti, CTO of Puzzlebox, which has implications for the mobility of people with spinal cord injuries.

Castelloti’s work is focused on Puzzlebox Brainstorms, an opensource software suite aimed at introducing students to basic neuroscience and brain-computer interfaces (BCI).

In 2010, Puzzlebox demonstrated the first version of the system.

The user was fitted with the EPOC headset, which transmitted to a module within the Puzzlebox Brainstorms BCI software housed in a laptop computer. An Arduino – the popular open-source singleboard microcontroller – was used for setting direction control, while a custom interface box simulated the wheelchair joystick controls.

While the original system allowed the user to move the wheelchair by thinking about the direction they wanted to move, the concentration required to keep the wheelchair in motion, and the distinct thoughts needed to execute simple commands like left and right, created a lot of mental strain just to be able to fulfil the simple task of moving around.

Castelloti and his team realised that quadriplegics and paraplegics placed more importance on increasing personal independence and restoring control of bodily functions, and so redesigned the solution into a hybrid wheelchair and “telepresence” robot.

“Our updated design incorporates the latest in computer vision and robotics engineering to provide automated pathfinding and interaction with simple objects using a custom arm,” Castelloti told Electronics News.

“Instead of manual navigation, the user is presented with a floorplan or 12 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

map of their current location. They can make a single selection using a P300-based [BCI] menu and the robot will figure out for them how to best travel there.”

Upon reaching the desired location, another augmented reality overlay is produced, so the user can select various objects, again using the P300-based BCI, which the robot can then retrieve.

With the re-design the robot has freed the user from navigating using constant thought, instead allowing them to use the BCI to make a series of simple selections in order to instruct the robot to carry out various higher-level tasks.

The next brainwave The popularity of the EPOC can be attributed to Emotiv’s openness to and encouragement of third-party development and research, and the possibility of developing applications of any level of complexity, from simple thought-to-keystroke mapping to full analysis of raw EEG data.

Emotiv claims that the accessibility of the hardware is one of the key reasons for the growth of the development community. For medical-grade EEG studies, a singlechannel system can cost between $3000 and $5000, and multi-sensor headsets can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

At these prices the EPOC headsets are less expensive then traditional EEG systems allowing researchers to buy multiple units and execute studies with several people in the same room being measured in parallel to yield faster results.

Having seen the research and development community around the EPOC flourish, Emotiv is now taking the initiative a step further, aiming to leverage the large installed base of headset users to develop a normative database of EEG data.

To encourage users to submit their EEG data anonymously, Emotiv is setting up a wellness website to

track users’ mental performance during certain tasks, and provide feedback, so users can optimise their performance.

“Even on the most pessimistic assessments, we have thousands of users with maybe 20 or 50 sessions each. So we would have, in a matter of months, more EEG data on record than any other EEG system in history,” said Dr Mackellar.

The large amounts of anonymous EEG data will become a valuable resource, claims Dr Mackellar.

Researchers will be able to quickly sift through the data for example, to look for biomarkers for conditions like anxiety, depression or autism.

Users will be able to participate in research programs, either on a voluntary or paid basis. They can also opt to allow researchers access to their historical data, which will help in searching for precursors to conditions.

“Our research community … will be able to pre-package neuroscience experiments. That could be anything from a stimulus response, or using questionnaires to record EEG data, so they could be used for basic research, or to challenge subjects,” said Dr Mackellar.

“We might demographically subdivide the groups, so the system will be like a large group of captive researchers, all of whom have their own measurement equipment, and the researchers will be able to … get results within a matter of days.”

The product is already in development, and Emotiv has started pilot trials, capturing the initial part of the brain bank with data from a group of high-achieving individuals.

A tough road to recognition Emotiv is careful to point out that the EPOC system does not have any approvals for medical use, be it with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or the Australia Therapeutic Goods

Administration (TGA), and therefore all experiments are investigational.

Indeed, while the EPOC does provide EEG capabilities, it differs from internationally-recognised electrode placement methods such as the 10-20 system, notably because the power central leads are missing.

As such, while the headset has potential for use as a remote telehealth system (for example, providing EEG diagnosis capabilities to communities in remote areas of Africa), the company is not marketing it for such applications.

Researchers hope future versions of the EPOC may be re-designed to add the electrodes needed to be compliant with the 10-20 system.

This lack of approval also means some researchers using the EPOC system are encountering significant roadblocks in getting their work recognised or funded by medicalspecific government grants.

One such example is Dr Tim Gureyev, research scientist at CSIRO, and his research collaborators at the Monash Medical Centre.

Dr Gureyev’s engagement with EEG started with his interest in bio-feedback. This is a phenomenon whereby subjects are shown certain parameters of the body. This allows the subjects to quickly learn to control that parameter.

According to Dr Gureyev, biofeedback is applicable to things like skin conductivity and heart rate, but there are techniques for bio-feedback relating to brainwaves.

“For example, a person can be trained to increase the ‘theta wave’ activity in the left-half of the brain, which may be associated with an improved mood, and [this] can be used [to combat] depression,” he told Electronics News.

Many of Dr Gureyev’s projects involve extending the applications of EEG. For example, he participated in a recent paper published by researchers from the Monash Medical Centre where a conventional

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medical-grade EEG headset was used to diagnose stroke.

“There have been some very interesting advances in the treatment of stroke victims,” explained Dr Gureyev. “In some instances, if the drugs are administered early enough, in the three hour window after the episode, in certain types of stroke, it can almost completely reverse the effects.”

The drug, a protein called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), breaks down blood clots, and is very effective in treating embolic or thrombotic stroke, but is harmful if administered in the event of a haemorrhagic stroke. Thus, a quick diagnosis of the type of stroke which has occurred is vital.

While MRI and CT scans are usually used to diagnose stroke, they are complicated, require the use of large machines, and can be timeconsuming, a factor which limits their use when urgent diagnoses are required. The researchers compared the results of using a low-resolution EEG image of brain activity against CT and MRI data, and found the EEG correlated well with the information provided by CT, demonstrating the feasibility of using EEG to quickly diagnose strokes and monitor treatment.

Another of Gureyev’s projects involves developing software for three-dimensional localisation of electrical activity in the brain, from the data collected by EPOC on the surface of the skull.

Sometimes called source localisation, this technique is an extension of EEG imaging.

By finding out where the brain waves are coming from, and isolating particular bands of EEG spectrum, researchers can more specifically associate particular problems or conditions with processes going on in the brain, beyond the raw EEG data.

Gureyev and his colleagues are currently involved in validating the 14 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

Hurdles ahead

The updated brain-controlled wheelchair from Puzzlebox.

Various apps utilising the EPOC headset’s capabilities, such as the 3D brain activity map show here, are available from Emotiv.

data from EPOC for use in a medical diagnostic context. This is a vital step if researchers working with the headset are to publish any medically-relevant results, or apply for grants from medical funding bodies.

“We need to prove that the data

that can be acquired with EPOC is relevant to the target applications, so it can be shown that similar patterns can be seen in the EPOC data as can be seen in the conventional medical EEG devices under similar conditions,” said Gureyev.

According to Emotiv, the U.S. medical research community seems much more receptive to the use of the EPOC, and it is in conversation with the FDA to get an investigational device exemption for research work in children’s hospitals.

The company is also involved in some comparative and benchmarking studies, which it hopes will lead to published papers that will prove the capabilities of the headset to the Australian authorities.

But there are still very serious limitations for the system. Apart from the lack of 10-20 compatibility, researchers are unsure as to the EPOC’s suitability for clinical settings, for example, where other medical devices can cause interference, or its useability in medical situations such as emergency rooms.

It seems inevitable that if the EPOC is to be recognised as a serious tool of medical research, it will need to go through the lengthy and costly process of being approved for medical use, if not a re-design.

And as Emotiv continues building its collection of EEG data, it is almost certain to encounter privacy and data security issues, especially because of the personal nature of the data.

It remains to be seen if Emotiv and its research community can successfully address these challenges, but one fact remains – through its creation of an effective and accessible EEG headset the team at Emotiv has already given thousands of people unprecedented access to the workings of the brain that may help the disabled live more productive lives, improve the accessibility of EEG to remote, poor areas and improve outcomes for stroke victims. That’s not bad for a product that was originally designed for gamers. Q www.emotiv.com brainstorms.puzzlebox.info

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Tracking MCU power use Brant Ivey of Microchip Technology explains the energy consumption of microcontrollers during operation

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ynamic power refers to the energy consumed by a microcontroller (MCU) when it is running and performing its programmed tasks.

As opposed to static power consumption, dynamic power includes current used for switching CMOS circuits and the bias currents for the active analogue circuits of the device, such as analogue-todigital converters or oscillators.

Such operational losses are explained by considering a CMOS inverter, as shown in Figure 1. This inverter will consume little to no power when the input is at VDD or VSS. However, when the signal switches from VDD to VSS, there is a transition period where the p-type MOS and n-type MOS will both be biased in the linear region, allowing current to flow from VDD to ground.

In a real system, there will be some load capacitance on the output bus and additional current consumption due to the charging and discharging of this capacitance when the logic level changes.

The average power consumed by dynamic switching losses of a single gate is defined by the equation: P = V2 x f x C Where V is the system voltage, f is the switching frequency and C is the load capacitance.

This equation is for a single CMOS device. When considering the entire MCU, the equation will be multiplied by a scaling factor, which varies depending on the switching frequency of all the gates.

Dynamic power control Because it is a squared term in the equation, voltage is the most significant factor in dynamic power consumption. Reducing the system operating voltage will have a significant impact on power consumption.

Operating voltage is primarily defined by the process technology used in the manufacture of the

Figure 1: CMOS inverter dynamic power consumption paths.

MCU. As process geometries shrink, the operating voltage decreases and the device consumes less dynamic power. An embedded system designer can save power by selecting an MCU that is capable of operating at a lower voltage.

But if the minimum system voltage is defined by another component, the MCU would need an additional voltage regulator, increasing system cost. In some cases, it can be more power efficient to run at a higher voltage because of the power consumed by the regulator.

It is much more difficult to do anything about the load capacitance, since it is a function of the internal MCU layout and design, and thus the domain of the MCU manufacturer. The only control the system designer has over internal load capacitance is to enable and disable MCU features individually. A savvy low-power designer should ensure that, at any point in a program, only the currently required features of the MCU are enabled.

A designer does have control over the external load capacitance of a signal that is routed to an I/O pin. These capacitances can be much larger than the internal capacitance of the MCU and can cause significant losses. The designer should review a design for stray capacitances during digital switching.

Frequency is typically the most variable of the factors contributing to dynamic power, and as such, is usually the component adjusted by embedded designers to actively

Dynamic power consumption decreases as the process geometries of modern MCUs shrink. lower power consumption. The optimal operating frequency for a system is determined by a combination of factors:

As the power equation indicated, a lower operating frequency will result in lower dynamic current.

However, execution speed is also a factor in power consumption. In some cases, it may better to run at a higher frequency and finish an operation more quickly to allow the system to return to a “sleep” state.

Moreover, at low frequencies, static power consumption may overtake dynamic switching current, limiting the effectiveness of reducing frequency. At this point, the designer should focus on techniques to reduce static power. Q This is an extract of an application note titled “Low-Power Design Guide” www.microchip.com

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Bridging the skills gap Are academic institutions providing potential engineers with the skills needed by industry? What are employers really looking for? Isaac Leung writes.

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LECTRONICS design automation (EDA) skills could mean the difference between a satisfying job in the engineering sector for a graduate, and, if not quite flipping burgers, a tedious gig in an irrelevant sector.

But are the academic institutions equipping graduates with soughtafter skills? It depends on whom you ask; the employers say colleges focus on theoretical knowledge rather than practical skills while the schools argue that – within budget restrictions – they do provide relevant design competence.

Lack of experience Perhaps the best example of an employer that seeks EDA skills is the modern design house. These companies deal with highly complex products, multilayered board designs and distributed workflows, while coping with increasing cost pressures and shortening deadlines.

Simon Blyth is the managing director of the LX Group of companies. His business recruits on a regular basis, and also runs an internship program in close cooperation with the University of NSW, as well as other academic institutions.

LX Group uses Altium Designer for hardware design, MATLAB for signal processing work, P-SPICE, vendor-dependent compiler tools and FPGA development tools like those from silicon vendor Xilinx.

But Blyth is finding shortcomings in graduates’ skills.

“If you employ someone who just left university, [the company must be prepared for] a fairly long training cycle,” Blyth told Electronics News. “There’s a role for industry to [play in training] people in how to design, but graduates who come out aren’t really equipped to step straight into the design work.”

According to Blyth, most graduates who have only one or two team projects under their belt are not 16 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

Titles like Altium Designer are commonly used by both industry and academic institutions. (Credit: Altium)

well-versed in EDA. “Sometimes, you get the guy who has actually used the software, and that was usually in a fairly hacky way - and that’s about it,” Blyth says.

“We’ve got to the point where we don’t expect them to have those skills. We don’t even look for it because we know it’s probably not going to be there.”

So, design houses like LX sit new employees down during their first few weeks and run them through the tutorials provided by EDA vendors in order to get them up to speed.

Having been through a fouryear degree himself, Blyth says he understands that universities are in a bind, having to choose between

teaching foundational theory, which is important in itself, and teaching vocational skills like the use of design tools.

The number of EDA software suites now in use in different parts of the industry means that even if universities were to give up theory, and instead train students entirely on the use of tools, only one or two titles might end up being useful.

Blyth suggests that the electrical and electronics engineering industry should consider a post-graduate program run by both teaching institutions and industry. Such a program would aim to provide graduates with six months of intense training on the most common EDA

tools, approaches to debugging and design, and other relevant topics.

Constraints and opportunities Students at Swinburne University and La Trobe University have access to a fairly wide range of EDA tools, including Altium Designer, Genesis for RF design, HDL Designer, Precision Synthesis, Xilinx ISE Synthesis, EDK, ChipScope, various DSP tools, Altera Quartus II, ModelSIM, P-SPICE, LT-SPICE, Mentor Eldo (and other tools), MATLAB, NI LabVIEW, and others.

Lecturers and staff at both academic institutions point out that even though they face practical

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constraints, the education they provide reflects the current practices of the electronics industry.

Ismat Hijazin, Associate Dean of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Systems at Swinburne, says the choice of software taught at during the degree is influenced by two main factors: recommendations from an advisory committee, and budget. “On the Advisory Committee, we have people from Agilent, Telstra and NEC,� says Hijazin. “After a few years, we review memberships to get a different opinion from different sources in the industry.�

Industry representatives make up 60 percent of the committee, while the other 40 percent comes from other academic institutions. “We go as far as we can in trying to get quality teaching and providing students with a good experience when they go to work in the industry,� Hijazin explains. “But we operate under constraints.�

According to Jim Whittington, senior lecturer in the Department of Electronic Engineering at La Trobe

University, budget constraints and existing curriculum affect the range of software taught to students. “It’s probably not quite so simple as going out into the industry and seeing what they are using. Cost is also an issue. Also, historical factors are an issue,� Whittington says. “If we’ve developed a lot of material around a particular tool, and we suddenly jumped to a competing tool, there will be a lot of work in rewriting stuff.�

While the Advisory Committee at La Trobe University provides feedback on the course and gives new ideas, a limited budget means getting the latest and greatest tools is sometimes not possible.

Commonly-used tools like MATLAB are introduced early in the degree course, and others, like the FPGA tools, are covered – at least to a basic level – in specific subjects.

Whittington points out that a lot of the tools can only be learnt by going out and using them, so there is limited scope on what students can be taught about EDA in lectures. >>

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“The tools are so sophisticated that you couldn’t cover every aspect and depth in reasonable class time,” Whittington says. “A lot of the learning may be part of labs, extra tutorials, self-exploration, discussions in class where students talk about some of the issues which we explore and go through together.”

Students at the university can also access extra classes and tutorials run by the Engineering Students Society, which provides tips and additional tuition on tools like MATLAB, SolidWorks and Altium Designer.

The final project in the degree also aims to encourage students to do their own research and teach

18 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

themselves to use the tools that they need to complete the project.

Besides individual and group projects, most degrees require students to complete work experience. La Trobe specifies 12 weeks work experience for accreditation with Engineers Australia, but they can range up to a year.

These internships allow students to get a better grasp of what it is like to work in industry, and learn EDA and other skills, while working on real projects.

Stay hungry For electronics engineers, universities are only the start. According to Simon Blyth, the four years spent

on a degree provides the budding engineer with foundational skills, but given the amount of on-the-job learning required, employers value graduates who are flexible in their skills, who can learn quickly and who are interested in the job.

“To maximise the opportunity to learn about these types of tools, my main advice to students is to make things,” says Blyth. “For example, I grew up building things. If I needed to program a chip, I’d look at a few tools, pick one, learn how to use it and look at forums.”

With the vast amount of resources now available on the Internet, connected communities around “maker” cultures and low

cost platforms like the Arduino and the Raspberry Pi, it has never been easier for students to engage in their own design and development work, and learn the tools for themselves.

This extra-curricular work is not just a learning opportunity, but a way to build a portfolio of experience that employers value.

“I love it when a graduate comes in with a board, and says ‘I designed this myself’,” adds Blyth. “The application means a lot to me.

“The best embedded systems people are those who enjoy the work. People who are excited about what they’re doing typically become very good engineers, because they have a continual desire to learn.” Q

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Chip design: new dimensions Designers have packed hundreds of millions of transistors onto a chip by making features smaller. But a dimensional shift is coming. By Electronics News staff.

F

or the last five years or so leading processor makers such as Intel and AMD have been fighting an increasingly difficult battle to continue Moore’s Law. In 1965, Gordon Moore, founder of Intel, postulated that the number of transistors on a chip would double every two years. This law has held for the last 46 years, in part because semiconductor companies are using it as a benchmark for R&D targets.

Each time challenges threaten adherence to the law, chipmakers found a work-around.

But eventually the laws of quantum mechanics and powerdensity constraints will prevent further transistor shrinkage and chip density will reach a plateau. But the chip companies are already planning to overcome this roadblock with some vertical thinking.

Squeezing more transistors onto a chip is becoming increasingly tough.

(Courtesy: Intel)

SHORTCUTS:

Onwards and upwards There is increasing focus on stacking 2D chips on top of each other to form a 3D package. The result is a much more powerful device but with the same footprint.

Apart from saving space, the key advantage of this technique is that the interconnection between the layers (in the ‘z’ direction) – typically formed by through silicon vias (TSV) - is ‘on-chip’ rather than via a PCB supporting the components.

TSVs are not just shorter and faster, they also use much less power compared to off-chip traces.

Using TSVs to interconnect the layers allows for the on-chip fabrication of a very large parallel bus, boosting bandwidth compared with chip-to-chip interconnection. Each layer can be designed at a different process node. Digital functionality, for instance, can be manufactured using high-density techniques whereas analogue or mixed signal elements could be manufactured on a separate layer at a more relaxed process node. Also, 3D chips are

much more difficult to reverse engineer, because upper layers hide those beneath.

Design dimension If 3D ICs apparently hold all the aces then why are chipmakers still pursuing Moore’s Law? The answer is because 3D chips are tough to design and difficult to make.

Even with the aid of modern EDA packages, laying out a modern 2D chip is challenging. With a 3D device the problem is made much harder because each layer needs to be designed and then those layers need to be connected by potentially thousands of TSVs. The complexity is one of the reasons that current 3D chip designs are limited to two layers (a processor on the bottom connected to a memory chip on top).

But routing complexity is only the start of the job for a budding 3D chip designer; the large number of active devices packed into a small volume pushes up the power density compared to a corresponding 2D

circuit. Thermal issues need to be considered at every stage of the design process.

EDA software firm Cadence, in a whitepaper entitled “3D ICs with TSVs—Design Challenges and Requirements”, notes that the main problem with 3D-chip development is coordinating the IC and package design. The firm suggests that if the chip, package and board are not designed cooperatively, the interconnections will not be optimised, and extra vias will be needed to handle signals that cross from one point to another. As a result, performance will be reduced, additional board layers may be needed, and board and package costs may rise.

The cost of packaging rises when multiple dies are incorporated into one package, so for a non-co-optimised approach, the package could end up costing more than the die.

In addition, 3D die stacks result in many more interconnections than 2D devices and many of these have to be connected to the PCB.

Q 3D ICs offer an alternative for improving chip performance without following Moore’s Law. Q Designing and manufacturing 3D ICs is proving very difficult.

Q EDA vendors and wafer fabricators are collaborating to develop reliable production methods.

Q Companies need to balance investment against likely modest early returns as the market develops.

The board designer needs to work out the best place to put the 3D package relative to the rest of the components on the board so that he can position and rotate components properly in order to accommodate the 3D package interconnect but minimise the number of layers required for the PCB. Adapting established EDA software to the challenges of 3D IC design – especially for chips that will venture beyond two layers – is expected to be challenging. But it’s also a big opportunity.

>>

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“The transition to 3D ICs is likely to take time and the design methodology will change in an evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, manner”

Cadence is already collaborating with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), resulting in the test-chip tapeout of TSMC’s first heterogeneous Chip-onWafer-on-Substrate [3D IC] vehicle.

Cadence’s main rivals, Synopsys and Mentor Graphics, are also chasing a share of this specialised but growing sector.

Wally Rhines, Chairman and CEO of EDA vendor Mentor Graphics, noted that the early adoption of 3D ICs will be driven by performance, power and form factor, but the transition is likely to take time and will be achieved via 2.5D ICs and rather than rapidly shifting, the design methodology will gradually evolve.

Challenging TSVs If chip companies can crack the design challenges, there are several options for putting 3D ICs together.

The monolithic technique comprises forming all the circuits on layers on a single wafer, which is then diced into 3D ICs. Because there is only one substrate, there is no need for aligning, thinning, bonding or even TSVs. But at this early stage, it’s hellishly difficult to produce even simple working devices.

A more practical technique is wafer-on-wafer. Layers are formed on two or more wafers, which are then aligned, bonded and diced into 3D ICs. The TSVs are either built into the wafers before bonding or else created in the stack afterwards.

20 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

It is a little easier than monolithic technology, but if any of the bonded layers are defective, the whole chip has to be discarded.

The die-on-wafer method is similar to wafer-on-wafer, except one wafer is diced and each die is then aligned and bonded onto die sites of the second wafer. Thinning and TSV creation are performed either before or after bonding. The technique takes much longer because of the individual placement of each die.

Then there is die-on-die, where the circuits are formed on multiple die and TSV creation may be done before or after bonding. Each die can be tested first, so that one bad die does not ruin an entire stack.

The dies can also be characterised before bonding, so that it can be mixed-and-matched with others to form a stack with optimised power consumption and performance.

But TSV forming is even more challenging. TSVs are relatively large compared to other features on the chip and can sometimes penetrate through all the active and substrate layers of the device.

Worse still, the TSVs are made from copper and the chip bulk material is made of silicon – which have widely different CTEs. Thus, TSVs set up both mechanical and thermal stresses in a delicate stacked chip that comprises features as small as tens of nanometres that are easily damaged.

The stresses can also cause the adjacent silicon lattice to deform, affecting electron mobility and unpredictably changing the electrical characteristics of the chip.

Finite element analysis (FEA) can be used for a detailed analysis of the effects of a single TSV, but is impractical for full-chip scale that may have thousands of such interconnects. The pressure is on the EDA vendors to keep working on the development of cost-effective software to allow engineers to resolve the challenges presented by TSVs.

More of Moore’s The 3D IC market is small but growing. According to Texas-based analyst Markets&Markets, the global 3D IC market will grow from US$2.21 billion ($2.09 billion) in 2009 to US$6.55 billion ($6.19 billion) in 2016 and at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.9 percent from 2011 to 2016.

That compares with a global semiconductor market worth just over US$300 billion ($283 billion) in 2011.

The firm notes “companies in this market need to efficiently balance their expenditure between capacity expansion and technology advancement…since the market for 3D ICs is yet to gain complete recognition and

its successful penetration...is largely governed by R&D initiatives”.

So expect chip-makers to carry on proving Gordon Moore’s prediction – at least in the near future – by fabricating even denser conventional chips. But in parallel be prepared for a steady rise into key applications by 3D ICs where their performance advantages make it cost-effective to turn to the new technology in preference to today’s 2D products.

That’s assuming, of course, that EDA companies and designers alike can get to grips with the unenviable task of mapping out complex chips in three dimensions. That job could make taming errant electrons look as simple as herding sheep. Q

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FEATURE

DESIGN

Software innovation frees wirele New 2.4GHz wireless SoCs integrate silicon radios, powerful microprocessors and flash memo making it much easier to develop winning applications. Thomas Embla Bonnerud writes

T

he 2.4GHz ultra low power (ULP) wireless sector has transformed in the last three-tofive years. From being a niche technology back then, proprietary products, ANT chips and Bluetooth low energy devices have pushed wireless connectivity powered by coin cell batteries into the mainstream. And now things are about to explode.

The challenge facing the silicon vendors is predicting just how that explosion will play out.

It seems very likely that proprietary technology will continue to be successful because such products can be optimised for applications such as wireless desktops where minimal latency and low power consumption are very important.

But technologies such as ANT+ from ANT Wireless and Bluetooth low energy are rapidly expanding because they are able to seamlessly communicate with devices such as smartphones, PCs, and ‘health hubs’ from many manufacturers. That interoperability supports huge new wireless ecosystems.

It’s impossible to forecast which technology will lead. It’s possible that there will be plenty of space for each or perhaps one will move into the leading position.

The company I work for, Nordic Semiconductor, has implemented a strategy of having three separate product families supporting proprietary technology, ANT+ and Bluetooth low energy (a hallmark element of the latest Bluetooth v4.0 specification) respectively.

That’s worked well, but customers are increasingly asking for greater flexibility.

They say they’d like to design products around one technology and then swap to another with minimal redesign if market conditions dictate. Better still, customers would like to introduce products supporting a new technology – such 22 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

applications perform as expected and in a timely manner – otherwise, disruptions can cause problems for the RF protocol.

Nordic’s new products address this challenge by creating a clean separation between the application and protocol stack elements. This effectively removes all dependencies between the two.

The stack, which is delivered in its entirety by the silicon vendor, is completely separate from the application in terms of dependencies.

Required resources needed by the stack are guaranteed in terms of availability and in terms of response times. This encapsulation of the stack as a separate entity to the application brings very significant advantages.

The application developer can build, or port an application safe in the knowledge there are no compile or run-time associated dependencies or potential conflicts.

ANT+ and Bluetooth low energy are rapidly expanding because they are able to seamlessly communicate with devices such as smartphones.

(Courtesy: Bluetooth SIG)

as Bluetooth low energy – while at the same time retaining the capability to communicate with legacy devices that use a more established RF software protocol.

No company has ever introduced a ultra low power wireless connectivity technology that meets those demands – until the release of Nordic’s nRF51 Series.

Focusing on the application The philosophy behind the new range is to offer OEMs and ODMs common silicon that is equally at home at running proprietary protocols as it is running interoperable software stacks like ANT and Bluetooth low energy.

At the heart of these Systems-

on-Chip (SoC) are brand new 2.4GHz radios allied to powerful ARM Cortex-M0 microcontrollers (see figure 1). The ARM microcontroller is a 32-bit device that brings more powerful computing power compared to the 8-bit 8051 core typically embedded in ULP wireless SoCs. The microcontroller has been designed for ULP operation and is well suited to these types of wireless connectivity applications. But while the hardware is impressive, the key innovation is in the application and RF protocol firmware.

In typical ULP wireless connectivity applications the application code and RF protocol exist as part of a singular overall framework.

This arrangement puts a lot of pressure on the developer to ensure

The...solution frees designers from the integration effort, complexities and restrictions of chip vendor-supplied software frameworks

In addition, this arrangement means the developer can focus on developing in exactly the manner that serves the application best. This is not the case with current wireless connectivity ICs whereby application and protocol code have an associated inherent coupling.

Consequently, developers have to be on their guard for constraints and dependencies during the entire development cycle. Debugging can also be very time-consuming and

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FEATURE

eless designers from complexity memory together with a novel approach to software architecture general communication.

In this arrangement, the Bluetooth low energy RF stack operates separately as a soft device while the Nordic (or other proprietary) protocol works together with the application program (see figure 2). A Soft Device manager decides which protocol takes priority and ensures that the other protocol is disabled.

The nRF51 Series represents a leap forward in ULP wireless connectivity. The family’s performance, ultra low power consumption and flexibility will provide a good platform for the major RF protocols for years to come.

Additionally, the novel software solution frees designers from the

integration effort, complexities and restrictions of chip vendor-supplied software frameworks and instead allows customers to develop their designs quickly and easily using the highly popular and familiar ARM Cortex programming environment. Q Thomas Embla Bonnerud is Director of Product Management with Nordic Semiconductor. Nordic Semiconductor is a leading manufacturer of proprietary 2.4GHz ULP silicon solutions, a member of the group that developed the Bluetooth low energy wireless specification and a member of the ANT Alliance (see www.nordicsemi.com).

For more information on nRF51 Series, go to http://www.nordicsemi. com/eng/Products/nRF51-Series-SoC

Figure 1: A schematic of Nordic’s nRF51 Series. At its heart lies a new radio and ARM Cortex-M0 microcontroller.

Figure 2: The developer’s application and the Soft Device (shown here as a Bluetooth low energy sack) work autonomously.

technically challenging.

From an architecture perspective the nRF51 has two clear functional blocks that have complete autonomy

from each other. The first block is the developer’s application, the second is the protocol block which Nordic calls the ‘Soft Device’. The Soft Device is a self-contained protocol block that has two variants, either a Bluetooth Low Energy stack or an ANT stack.

The memory architecture is designed to be fundamentally “thread-safe” in operation, which ensures application and RF protocol software operate in a secure and predictable manner.

Answering the call to support both the latest RF protocols and legacy software on the same chip, some of the devices in the nRF51 Series can operate as multi-protocol devices. This is a facility that has never been possible with 2.4GHz ULP wireless technology. This is useful, for example, if an OEM wants to supply a product that can communicate with older Nordic devices running proprietary protocols while taking advantage of the interoperability of Bluetooth low energy for www.electronicsnews.com.au OCTOBER 2012 23

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FEATURE

INDUSTRIAL

Emerging motor sensor tech Extreme applications on earth and in space are using new encoder technologies that allow greater design freedom. Brett Motum from maxon motor Australia writes.

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he traditional optical incremental encoder is one among many feedback devices including resolvers, DC tachos, absolute, virtual absolute and the humble Hall sensor. The optical encoder is still the most widely used and can be an adequate and cost effective device providing speed and position feedback in most motion control applications.

However, the optical encoder has some inherent limitations applications with extreme conditions and size constraints.

Newer technologies, like magnetoresistive (MR) encoders, and inductive Mile encoders, are being used on the Mars Rover Curiosity, and integrated inside motor bodies.

Encoders in space For space applications there are many different considerations taken into account that would mean a standard optical encoder may not be suitable. Temperature range causing uneven expansion and contraction, ball bearing lubrication outgassing or solidifying, plastic parts and adhesives that can be damaged by vacuum and most importantly, current consumption.

MR encoder technology with extremely low power consump-

Mars Rover Curiosity examines Mars rock. (Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech) tion supplied by maxon motor Switzerland is playing a part in the Curiosity rover, having been installed into the electromechanic joints. Curiosity will explore the immense Gale Crater on Mars for signs of life over two years.

Even with a radionuclide battery, low power consumption is critical, especially since the equipment on board includes a gas chromatograph, spectrometer, a robot arm and a neutron source.

The MR encoder features a magnetic disc mounted on the axis

with a non-contact apposing PCB also mounted on the axis to reduce the diameter by comparison to a standard magnetic encoder using hall sensors.

The magnetic disc’s raw pulses are then interpolated in to high resolution channels. The MR encoder signals have a very fast rise time and accuracy in comparison to optical or Hall encoders, and they are also typically much smaller.

Inductive encoders inside motors Motors are getting smaller and faster, and encoders must also be miniaturised to match.

An optical encoder cannot deliver the frequency required for highly accurate positioning during applications with high speeds. A maxon 6mm diameter brushless DC motor is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100,000 rpm in just 4ms, and for this the only capable encoder technology is the inductive principle.

With the inductive principle, a high frequency alternating field is transfomatively transmitted and therefore angle dependent.

Modulated eddy currents are captured in a conductive target

24 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

An optical encoder may not be suited for space.

MR-Encoder Technology from maxon motor is built into the electro mechanical joint of the rover. using a structured copper disc.

These encoders can be made incredibly small and are now being integrated into the motors’ body.

They are particularly suited for use inside “pancake” or brushless flat motors.

Compared with optical and reflective encoders, high-frequency inductive methods of measurement and the magnetoresistive method have various advantages.

The newer technologies are highly robust against dust, dirt and oil, they can deal with high speeds, and are resistant against electromagnetic interference. Q www.maxonmotor.com.au

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FEATURE

EVENT

ElectroneX 2012 Exhibitors at ElectroneX 2012 were happy with the quality of leads at the event.

E

XHIBITORS at 2012 ElectroneX expo, held 12 to 13 September at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney, were in general agreement: the quality of visitors to the show was outstanding.

Upton Australia’s Kevin Saillard was exhibiting a range of machinery at his stand, which was shared with companies like Nordson Yestech (automated optical inspection machines) and Automation & Engineering Solutions. He said quality definitely trumped quantity.

“Making this a trade-oriented show for specific needs worked very well,” Saillard told Electronics News.

“We’ve had very few tyre kickers: we’re getting people who are really well-qualified and people we really need to talk to.”

According to organiser Anthony Doran, ElectroneX is a show of strength in an industry which is seen by many consumers as a tightening and declining market.

“Obviously, people are here to sell, but ultimately, this show is about people finding solutions: they are here to get answers to questions,” said Doran. “This show displays that the industry is still strong and still valid, and it’s got a future ahead of it.”

While the final numbers were not in when Electronics News went to press, ElectroneX has nearly doubled in size since the last Sydney expo in 2010, with a change in venue to the Exhibition Hall providing a lot more space, and visitor numbers also up on the 2010 figures.

“The increase in visitors is probably because of people recognising that times are tougher, and they have got to get more proactive: they have to find smarter, faster ways to do the job, and hopefully this is the event that serves the purpose,” Doran said.

For the co-located SMCBA conference, early figures indicate

the number of registrations for the workshops and sessions in 2012 was the highest since 2001. The number of delegates was boosted by a rush of last-minute bookings.

Eric Lee from RS Components said the presence at ElectroneX provided an opportunity to change the market’s perception of the company, especially by pushing resources like its DesignSpark PCB software and community.

“RS is joining Electronex this time to give the attendees an understanding that we are more than just catalogue distributors,” Lee said. “We have components and control and automation products to distribute, but we also provide and assist engineers through design platforms, tools and hardware.”

This was reflected in the products on display at the stand, with the standard control and automation solutions, but also development platforms such as the low-cost Raspberry Pi and Arduino-compatible boards.

Active Components partnered with Italy’s Elettronica Rossoni to raise awareness of the company’s power components, which it distributes in Australia. On feature was the AC/DC converter which plugs

directly onto a PCB, simplifying product development.

Vicom had a wide range of test and measurement products and brands at its stand, but one which particularly stood out was the LeCroy 12-bit High Resolution Oscilloscope, with its 90-degree rotatable 12.1” display optimising views of long signals.

Meanwhile, Satcam showed off the latest ClearTek model 5000 quick circuit prototyping desktop machine.

National Instruments had its expansion modules for the PXI platform, particularly the PXIe5644R RF vector signal transceiver, which technical consultant Mehul Satikunvar claimed is redefining RF. “You’ve got both analyser and generator with FPGA programming in one small form factor module, and it can do what no other instruments can do currently,” Satikunvar said.

Agilent Technologies showcased the 1GHz models of the InfiniiVision 3000 X-Series oscilloscopes, which were launched in February, as well as the new 26.5GHz FieldFox RF and microwave handheld analysers.

Also of interest was a Bluetooth adapter for its range of handheld multimeters, with support for

Android devices, allowing users to wirelessly connect to the multimeter with a tablet device.

John South of Emona says the GW Instek and Rigol series of spectrum analysers and oscilloscopes at his stand has seen extremely positive response from visitors, with interest also shown to the Oscium accessories and attachments, which turn Apple iPad tablets into test instruments.

The element14 stand was divided according to products, with test and measurement instruments, general boards on display, a microchip expert, and a live demonstration of the Raspberry Pi. It was also selling the Raspberry Pi from the stand, which proved to be popular: 65 were sold on the first day alone.

The next ElectroneX, in 2013, will be held in Melbourne. The organisers say they are now reaching out to get government involvement in the expo.

“We feel it’s important for them to be here,” Doran said. “We’ll be looking at what sorts of funding is available to help us along for the show, but more importantly to have a platform for them to talk to visitors about governmental innovation programs and funding support.” Q www.electronex.com.au www.electronicsnews.com.au OCTOBER 2012 25

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FEATURE

TEST

Accelerating RF tests Faster connectivity, FPGA and peer-to-peer streaming allows both fast and programmable RF acquisition and processing.

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ADIO frequency (RF) testing has traditionally been done on hardware boxes, which provide dedicated features, but are relatively inflexible – if the processing function the engineer is after is not already included in the box, the only real way to get the results needed is to transfer the data from the instrument back to a host PC for softwarebased processing.

However, that is easier said than done. The connections from instrument to PC tended be a bottleneck in the data acquisition and processing workflow.

Typical connection buses include GPIB (10MB/s maximum bandwidth; 10s of microseconds of latency) or Ethernet (100MB/s maximum bandwidth, around 1 millisecond latency).

This bottleneck matters, because the acquisition loop for RF tests tend to run at high frequency, and in fact should run as quickly as possible. This generates a large amount of data which, if not quickly offloaded to the PC, fills up the memory of the instrument, leading to dropped frames and compromising test and analysis.

Newer instruments, however, are taking other technological approaches to the problem, with faster connections to PCs, dedicated processing modules, and peer-topeer streaming. With a combination of these technologies, some systems can even dispense with the role of host PCs as the data processor.

Speedy connection PCI Express/PXI Express, developed originally as a computer expansion bus, has more than 1GB/s bandwidth, combined with less than 1 microsecond latency (x4 lanes).

Test instrument manufacturers like National Instruments are now providing modular test systems whose base is a chassis containing an embedded controller. Instrument 26 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

New technologies mean RF test and processing can be done in real-time.

modules, such as vector spectrum analysers (VSAs), signal generators and digitisers, are slotted in.

With PCI Express-based systems, if the instruments are on different links, data can be transferred at speeds of up to 800MB/s per instrument back to the host PC. The high bandwidth and low latency allows continuous streaming of data from the acquisition loop back to the processing loop on the PC at high speeds, without missing any samples.

This is ideal for applications which require continuous acquisition of data and real-time data processing, such as signal intelligence and spectrum monitoring.

Other bandwidth-hungry applications include wireless receiver validation and verification, RFID packet sniffing, and GPS testing.

Real-time processing on instrument Field Programmable Gate Array

(FPGA) technology, consisting of logic blocks, programmable interconnects and I/O blocks for external interfacing, are also boosting the functionality of test instruments.

As customisable circuits which are programmable for different environments and applications, FPGAbased modules can be configured to implement digital logic functions via software like NI LabVIEW. When FPGAs are combined with test instruments, the advantages become obvious: the processing functions are implemented in hardware, resulting in high reliability and low latency.

Signal processing algorithms on FPGAs can be run at deterministic rates down to 5 nanoseconds, and parallel processing is also possible.

National Instruments has also enabled peer-to-peer streaming on their PXI platform. The technology allows where compatible instruments which are plugged into the chassis to pass data directly to each

other, without first transferring the data to the host PC. Peer-to-peer streaming-compatible instruments include vector signal analysers, IF digitisers, digitisers, arbitrary waveform generators, vector signal generators and FPGA modules.

When both peer-to-peer streaming and FPGA processing are combined, the processing can be moved from the PC to the FPGA. The speed and power advantage of FPGAs effectively speeds up the processing loop, allowing it to synchronise with the acquisition loop. The results are then sent back to the host PC for storage or display.

The speed enabled by peer-topeer streaming plus FPGA enables real-time spectral measurements.

Data can be acquired from the air, then sent to the FPGA for processing. Continuous data acquisition paired with real-time Fast Fourier Transforms and processing are now possible. Q

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FEATURE

Purity Precision Speed Ease Rohde Schwarz FSW

Vector signal transceiver NATIONAL Instruments has introduced what it claims is the world’s first RF vector signal transceiver (VST), the NI PXIe-5644R. The unit combines a vector signal generator and vector signal analyser with a userprogrammable FPGA into a single PXI modular instrument.

The instrument has a software-centric architecWith a frequency range ture. of 65 MHz to 6 GHz, it is suited for testing the latest wireless and cellular standards such as 802.11ac and LTE. Due to its software-centric architecture, engineers can reprogram the FPGA and transform the vector signal transceiver into a new instrument or enhance its existing functionality using NI LabVIEW system design software.

Product features include up to 6.0 GHz frequency coverage and 80 MHz instantaneous RF bandwidth, and accelerated measurements compared to solutions in the same class.

The most advanced signal and spectrum anlsyzer for aerospace and defence applications. The highest bandwidth, lowest phase noise, clearest user interface and a host of convenient new tools – all on the largest touchscreen available. The R&S FSW is the perfect analyser for testing all types of radar signals in aerospace and defence. Execute the most complex measurements with ease. See things that were previously undetectable. Go where no one has been before. The R&S FSW. Compatible with today’s technology. Built for tomorrow.

Analyze oscillators and synthesizers with a phase noise of – 137 dBc (1Hz) Measure frequency – hopping and chirp signals with a bandwidth of up to 160MHz Find spurious signals five times faster Measure pulses, spurious and modulation at the same time with MultiView See more and obtain faster results on the large touchscreen The R&S FSW. Create the future. www.rohde-schwarz.com/ad/fsw sales.australia@rohde-schwarz.com

National Instruments 1800 300 800 www.ni.com

NFC measurement software ROHDE & Schwarz has introduced new near field communications (NFC) measurement software for the company’s oscilloscopes, spectrum analysers and network analysers.

Recognising the growing integration of NFC into smartphones, content provision devices and contactless payment systems, Rohde & Schwarz’s FS-K112PC NFC measurement software analyses NFC signals and measures the most important parameters of such signals.

The software measures NFC signals from readers and listeners and supports all three types of NFC signals (NFC-A, NFC-B and NFC-F). For quick measurements at the NFC standard frequency of 13.56MHz, users just press a key and, depending on the measurement, enter the antenna type used.

It delivers measurement of voltage profiles, modulation depth, modulation index and load modulation including limit monitoring.

It can also measure of timing parameters (rise/fall times, frame delay time, overshoot and undershoot), and uses NFC forum reference polling devices (poller 0, poller 3, poller 6) to determine the load modulation.

An automatic limit check is integrated. Transmitted messages are demodulated, and several standard messages are decoded. The software can also be used to evaluate the correct response of listeners to a poll command, allowing functional tests to be performed.

The software supports R&S RTO digital oscilloscopes, FSV and FSL spectrum analysers and ZVL network analysers.

Rohde & Schwarz 02 8874 5111 www.rohde-schwarz.com.au www.electronicsnews.com.au OCTOBER 2012 27

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NEW PRODUCTS

SPOTLIGHT

Signage evaluation kit KONTRON has announced its next-generation Digital Signage Evaluation Kit-12 (DSEK-12) to help streamline the digital signage development and the evaluation process.

The kit is targeted at OEM designers and advertisers, to reduce deployment and costs for intelligent signage systems. It was co-developed

by Kontron and Intel, with technology from Microsoft.

Until now, the design resources and tools for digital signage development and deployment lagged behind the latest display and graphics technologies, which have led to expensive and time-consuming integration.

The Kontron DSEK-12 offers a pre-validated system, using the modular OPS-compliant Kontron media player KOPS800 based on 3rd generation Intel Core processors. At the core of the KOPS800 is the Kontron COMe-bIP6, a high-performance Computer-on-Module with highend graphics and display support features.

products, including ICs, discretes and passives from leading manufacturers.

The distributor offers a comprehensive selection of over 1,500 development kits for applications such as analogue, power management, MCU and FPGA development.

Companies whose products are distributed by element14 include Analog Devices, Bourns, Fairchild Semiconductor, Kemet, Microchip, NXP, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Vishay.

Engineers can also choose from a range of semiconductors and passive components for use in lighting, wireless, telecommunications, and contract manufacturing.

Included in element14’s range is the Texas Instruments 32-bit digital signal controller with flash, TMS320F2812PGFA. Also featured is Microchip’s MCP1630 Boost Mode LED driver demo board, a step-up, switch-mode, dc-dc converter used for power LED applications. element14 1300 361 005 au.element14.com

Kontron Australia 02 9457 0047 www.kontron.com.au

With dual-band CDMA, fiveband UMTS and quad-band GSM, plus GPS, antennae diversity, and improved power management the PXS8 is the ideal solution for ruggedised mobile solutions targeting worldwide markets.

The product has a a footprint common to forthcoming LTE modules, and the existing Telstra approved PHS8-P module.

For CDMA only capabilities, the PVS8 variant provides dual band CDMA EV-DO communications for added reliability.

Multi-mode M2M cellular module ETM Pacific has released Cinterion’s new PXS8 multi-mode CDMA/UMTS/ GSM module.

The product is the first to combine EV-DO Rev. A and HSPA+ for worldwide cross-network roaming in a single M2M module.

28 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

ETM Pacific 02 9956 7377 www.etmpacific.com.au

Semiconductor tools and kits element14 has announced the latest semiconductor tools and development kits in its range of over 60,000

Small system-onchip for TVs STMICROELECTRONICS has released the STiH205 system-on-chip (SoC) solution for use in digital TVs and set-top boxes.

The SoC is housed in a BGA package measuring 23x23mm, with the small footprint and minimum bill of materials facilitating production of very small two-layer PCBs for IP and broadcast set-top boxes.

The new chip targets applications such as HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) dongles, where low cost and small footprint are the key driving factors.

STMicroelectronics +65 6427 7765 www.st.com

API eases multicore development TEXAS Instruments has announced the industry’s first commercial support for OpenMP Application Program Interface (API) on multicore digital signal processors.

The OpenMP API is a portable, scalable model for developers utilising TI’s KeyStone-based TMS320C66x multicore DSPs. The API provides a simple and flexible interface for developing parallel applications for various applications and markets..

The optimised software allows accelerated development of embedded applications on the C66x DSPs and take full advantage of multicore power and performance.

According to TI, the OpenMP API will deliver increased programmer productivity, while reducing design, development costs and time to market for embedded systems.

Texas Instruments 1800 999 084 www.ti.com

Optical spectrum analysers SOUTHERN Photonics has introduced a new series of cost-effective optical spectrum analysers (OSA).

The OSA-G Series is a gratingbased OSA platform designed for use across a range of commonly used

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NEW PRODUCTS

Email your product news to editor@electronicsnews.com.au

discrete wavelengths. It captures high resolution spectral data.

According to the company, the new release is in response to market demand for an affordable, high resolution OSA within production engineering and manufacturing.

Unlike current high-resolution OSAs which tend to be lab units with a variety of features and capabilities, the new solution focuses on the core functionality needed in these specific applications. This reduces cost, while the design of the platform is still customisable if required.

The product is initially available in 3 different wavelength ranges 1 micron, 1.5 micron and 2 micron.

Southern Photonics +64 9373 3840 www.southernphotonics.com

Overmolded connectors CLARKE & Severn Electronics has announced the latest EN3 harsh environment overmolded connectors.

The three new EN3 options are rugged, with a more slimline style and flex relief.

The CSE Straight Overmold is produced in Australia at CSE’s Hornsby Heights Plant. Using Macromelt Moulding, the company can supply small volumes, providing a fast turnaround time and low minimum order quantities of 20 cables per contact size.

Two other products, from Switchcraft, are the Right Angle Overmold and the EN3 Quick Disconnect Overmold, which snap in place and provide a watertight seal.

All EN3 overmolds are ideal for mobile equipment, such as monitoring equipment or outdoor lighting.

The products designs offer durable 360 degree flex cable strain relief, are IP68 rated, and accommodate cable O.D. up to 9.6mm.

Clarke & Severn Electronics 02 9482 1944 www.clarke.com.au

Power Parameters 1800 623 350 www.parameters.com.au

ICP Electronics Australia 02 9457 6011 www.icp-australia.com.au

Audio/video headend ROHDE & Schwarz has introduced the R&S AVHE100, a new audio/ video headend which signals the company’s entry into the market.

The compact solution all essential headend functions integrated in just a few hardware components.

The core components are the AVS audio/video server, and the AVG100

audio/video gateway.

In just two height units, the two components can be set up for a DVB-T2 headend that includes multiple decoders and encoders for HD and SD programs, multiplexers, a DVB T2 gateway, and a headend management system.

Rohde & Schwarz have implemented all audio and video signal processing functions entirely with software-based modules in the AVS100 server. Signal distribution and communications inside the headend are fully IP-based.

The proprietary R&S CrossFlowIP feature ensures uninterrupted signal switching during redundancy operation. This feature makes it possible to route the signal via the main path and redundancy path of the headend as required for the specific operating situation. This allows seamless signal-switching during maintenance and in the event of faults.

Rohde & Schwarz 02 8874 5111 www.rohde-schwarz.com.au

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Loop tester POWER Parameters has released the UNI-T592 multi-function loop tester which provides a suite of comprehensive insulation resistance, loop, and RCD testing suites.

The unit measures insulation resistance at test voltages of 250, 500 and 1000 volts DC to a maximum value of 1000 megohm.

Line and loop resistance is measured to 2000 ohms with a test current of 20 amps, and at 15 milli-amp without tripping RCDs. Prospective fault currents are indicated to a maximum of 26 kA. RCD trip times can be tested from 0.5 to 5 times trip value. Trip values are selectable from 10 to 500 milliamp. The backlit display has a resolution of 9999 counts.

with advanced data capturing functions, a built in VGA output and NTSC/PAL/SECAM video capture.

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Automotive data server ICP Electronics has released IEI Technology’s Advanced Auto Data Server, the AVL-3000.

The server is suited for vehicle tracking, security, monitoring, and data collection. The system is based on the latest Intel Atom N2600 1.6GHz CPU and pre-installed with Windows Embedded Standard 7, With built-in HSUPA/GPRS/GSM, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth, this server also features a GPS with dead reckoning.

The AVL-3000 comes integrated

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www.electronicsnews.com.au OCTOBER 2012 29

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Email your product news to editor@electronicsnews.com.au SPOTLIGHT

Header/socket interconnects WALCOM has introduced soldercup header and socket interconnects for medium duty applications.

The wire termination interconnects are rated at 4.5 amps per contact.

These connectors feature pins and receptacles with soldercups that can accept up to 20 AWG stranded & 18 AWG solid wires.

According to Walcom, the products are a convenient and reliable method to make connections between discrete wires or cables and mating components such as PCBs or other cable assemblies.

They eliminate the difficulties of soldering wires directly to boards.

Uniform orientation of the soldercups makes it easy to solder cable or discrete wires to the pins by eliminating the need to manipulate the wires or the connector to solder each wire.

The brass pins and receptacle shells are high speed machined to precision tolerances. Each receptacle is fitted with the Mill-Max #47 stamped beryllium copper contact which accepts .025” - .037” (.63mm - .94mm) diameter leads as well as .025” (.63mm) square leads. The male headers feature sturdy .030” (.76mm) diameter pluggable pin tails for mating with the corresponding solder cup socket. Standard plating options are tin or gold.

All connectors are on .100” (2.54mm) spacing and feature high temperature PCT insulators, suitable for RoHS soldering. They are available in 2-64 positions single row and 4-64 positions double row.

Walcom 02 4362 3477 www.walcom.com.au

Radio test system AEROFLEX, distributed by Vicom in Australia, has released the 3550 rugged portable radio communication test system.

The touch-screen system provides

complete radio receiver and transmitter performance testing, cable fault and antenna system analysis.

Users can configure the capacitive touch screen and define their own test screens for future use, and the internal battery provides 4.5

hours of operation on the go.

The unit is operational from zero to 50 degrees Celsius, and provides fast, reliable measurements of the radio’s transmitter and receiver.

The 3550 provides fast distance to fault, return loss and VSWR measurements. The unit allows quick isolation of transmitter and receiver problems, and assessment of the complete performance of the radio communication system.

Vicom Australia 1300 360 251 www.vicom.com.au

33 GHz bandwidth.

The analyser features tools to analyse and quantify the integrity of a vector-modulated signal for errorvector magnitude, quadrature error and other impairments.

It offers measurement and compensation of the link’s in-channel chromatic dispersion and firstorder polarisation mode dispersion by analysing the received signals, improving insight into the root cause of constellation distortions beyond 32 Gbaud.

The instrument is available today in various configurations up to 33 GHz bandwidth. Configurations up to 63 GHz bandwidth are scheduled for shipment at the end of 2012.

Agilent Technologies 03 9560 7133 www.agilent.com

Surge protection components

Optical modulation analyser AGILENT Technologies has announced the industry’s first realtime optical modulation analyser with a bandwidth of 63 GHz. The upgraded N4391A allows researchers to characterise the latest coherent receivers and transmitters with a sample rate of 160 GSa/s at 63 GHz electrical bandwidth.

The system is capable of real-time sampling on four channels, each with

APEX Electronics is now distributing Brightking surge protection parts.

The range TVS solutions for clamping applications, suited for secondary protection, IC/ASIC protection and telecommunications lines protection.

The ESD parts are suited for main boards, touch panels, keyboards and portable equipment, while the GDT are switching-type components ideal for ultra low inter-electrode capacitance and high discharge currents.

Also supplied are solid state thyristor surge suppressors.

Wireless Solution BREAKTHROUGH! Faraday offers a range of: RFI / EMI / EMC Power RF Filters EMC Antennas – Dipoles to Horns Amplifiers – RF & Microwave (DC – 4000W) and RF Modules Shielded Enclosure – Anechoic Chambers – Antenna Measurement Systems Absorber – EMC Test Boxes – MIL-STD Test Equipment RF Shielding – Magnetic Shielding – MRI Shielding

(03) 9729 5000 30 OCTOBER 2012 www.electronicsnews.com.au

sales@faradayshielding.biz

E Durable and Stable under severe circumstance E Environmentally Friendly E Fast Development Contact us at: Ginsei Sangyo Co., Ltd.

TEL: +81 3 3356 5715 Email: sales@ginsei-jp.com www.ginsei-jp.com

Apex Electronics +64 4385 3404 nz.apexelex.com

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Up close

5minutes with...

Peter Davis, Regional Director AUS/NZ, element14 Why did you choose this industry?

Because the electronics industry is exciting, relevant, and moves so quickly, with new products added daily and the race to bring them to market intense.

My first job as a graduate trainee was in electronics purchasing. Customers were always looking for fast lead times and I became intrigued by what the components I was purchasing would go on to be used for. This interest grew as my career moved in to product management. Listening to customers talk about potential uses for products still to this day fascinates me.

What excites you the most about the local electronics industry?

Australia has a well-developed innovation policy where R&D enjoys strong government support. This is very positive in terms of infrastructure and grants available to spur the electronics industry on.

Many people don’t realise that the level of R&D in Australia is similar to markets

such as the UK, Sweden and Germany, which are better known for innovation.

We have many niche segments in the Australian market where R&D is at the cutting-edge globally, such as the health and medical sectors, designing products for mining and green technology including solar, wind, tidal and clean technology.

What is the future of the electronics industry in Australia?

R&D will stay in Australia along with industries that rely on fast production.

Design engineers will need fast access to high quality components to keep the momentum and innovation going in R&D. Engineers will use peer-to-peer communities as the normal avenue for technical support/advice.

We may also start to see consolidation in the distribution market. The future is in serving large numbers of smaller customers. There, speed, flexibility and simplicity is key.

What can the government do to ensure a healthy electronics industry?

Continued investment in R&D is imperative. Universities must continue providing great graduate and postgraduate training opportunities, whilst seeking closer collaboration with industry, research organisations and other educational institutions.

The government also needs to keep pace with global legislation so designers and manufacturers can supply a global market.

What opportunities are the Australian electronics industry missing out on?

The high Australian dollar means businesses relying on exports must find ways to increase their productivity to compete with lower cost production locations.

Failing to translate our cutting-edge research and innovations into commercial outcomes is potentially a major loss. We need to collaborate better with global players in hot application areas. Q

WEB DIRECTORY

To advertise email Tim.Richards@reedbusiness.com.au

ASD TECHNOLOGY www.asdtech.com.au ASD Technology is a premier supplier of quality RF/ Microwave, Millimeterwave, Fiber Optics and Satcom components and subassemblies. Our products include Amplifiers, Antennas, Attenuators, Adapters, Cable Assemblies, Circulators, Coaxial Connectors, Directional Couplers, Filters, Fiber Optic Links, Isolators, Limiters, Mixers, Noise Sources, Oscillators, Phase Shifters, Power Dividers Combiners, Splitters, Synthesizers, Switches, Terminations, Waveguide Components and more.

KOLOONA INDUSTRIES www.koloona.com.au Koloona Industries is a wholly owned Australian Company who have been Importing and Distributing Electrical & Electronic Components for 30 years.

Koloona specialise in High Quality Switching and Protection Components with many supportive products to complete the range. We pride ourselves on our ability to offer quick service and full technical and application support.

au.element14.com

http://au.element14.com FARADAY PTY. LTD. www.faradayshielding.biz Faraday Pty Ltd is a specialist electromagnetic shielding company, which provides design, installation, and testing of shielding systems for Industrial, Medical and Defence EMI requirements. Faraday represents pre-eminent international companies including ETS Lindgren (EMCO / RANTEC / Holaday), AR Worldwide (Amp Research / AR-modular rf), Solar Electronics and TESEO.

MORNSUN www.mornsun-power.com Microchip Technology Inc. Australia & New Zealand Distributor www.microchip.com/8bit

(07)and 3823small 4844 form factor •DLPC Low Pty pin Ltd count •Email: Easy keith@dlpc.com.au migration Distributor •Victorian Cost effective Marketing (03) 9878 3077 •Fairmont Low power capability •Email: Ease nick@fairmontmarketing.com.au of use and quick development Southproduct Wales Distributor •New Mutiple options Electronics 9703 5425 •EMT Flexible flash (02) program memory Email: schubert.tan@emtelectronics.com.au

http://nz.element14.com element14 is a high-service distributor of technology products, services and solutions for electronic system design, maintenance and repair, supported by a global online engineering community to collaborate, research and keep projects on the fast track, right from the start.

LEMO www.lemo.com High quality circular connectors with the LEMO designed push pull mating.

Harsh environment connectors rated to IP68. Plastic connectors for the medical industry. Coaxial, triaxial, quadrax, multi contact and fibre optic connectors. LEMO is accredited with ISO9001:2000 and all connectors are RoHS compliant.

Soanar Plus www.soanarplus.com RS Components www.rsaustralia.com www.rsnewzealand.com Easy access to over 350,000 Electronic, Electrical and Industrial products from over 2,500 of the world's leading manufacturers. Online users have instant stock availability and access to over 100,000 free datasheets. Delivery is free for all orders over $125 in Australia and New Zealand.

Soanar Plus offers an on-line ordering service with more than 7,500 plus parts in stock and ready for next day delivery. Our site offers real-time pricing and availability, broken pack quantities, side by side comparison and datasheets. This website complements our FREE catalogue.

www.electronicsnews.com.au OCTOBER 2012 31

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INSIDE

INSIDE

APRIL 12

JUNE 12

News 4

News 4

Let there be sight

A new facility will boost development of bionic eye prototypes Technology 8

Fantastic plastic

Research collaboratio n cluster to look into flexible, low-cost optoelectronics Feature 10

Boosting battery life with power converter s

Full Terms & Conditions can be found at: www.reedbusiness.com.au/readerssurvey2012TC

Feature 16

Sourcing obsolete components

There are various possible approaches to the problem of obsolete component s, some better than others

Smart and strategic

Fighting fakes

The market is ripe for counterfeits: what are the risks, and what can you do?

Page 14

Feature 20

Maximising power

Post Print Approved PP255003/00319

Post Print Approved PP255003/00319

what Let us know day! you think to

How improving the efficiency of power converters can offset the slow progress of battery longevity

from solar panels As the military becomes Maximum power smarter, point what is the role for Australia’s electron tracking minimises ?waste ic industry Page 10 on the back end of solar generation systems

Design | Communica tions | Environmental Design Corner 24 | Industrial | Research | Medical | Consumer

Design | Communica tions | Environmental | Industrial | Research | Medical | Consumer

PoE optimisation

How to find the actual power delivered by PoE, and minimise losses

Revolutionary little computer How a small and cheap computer caught the attention of the world Technology 8

Ultra-fast wireless transmission

CSIRO’s speed boost breakthrough for point-to-poi nt wireless data transfer Feature 14

Contract design electronics

What to look out for when using subcontractors to design a product, and the unexpected benefits Feature 18

Tracking remote assets Electronic tracking solutions add value beyond just dots on the map Design Corner 20

Reducing MCU power use

How to curb the energy greed of electronics and extend the running life of your devices Product Feature 26

Data centre cooling

The solutions ensuring the cool, reliable and ecological running of server farms