8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
1/25www.rs-components.com/electronics
YOUR ELECTRONICS MAGAZINE ISSUE 9e
Todays Leading Edge Technology,
Tomorrows Electronics Commodity
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
2/25
Not Your Average Test Bench
Debug is hard enough. Dont let your test instruments get in the way.Our test bench offers the same ease-of-use youve come to expect fro
our oscilloscopes. From dedicated buttons for common functions to USB ports for saving data. To simplify your most complicated tasks, you ca
connect your test bench with the included copy of LabVIEW SignalExpress from National Instruments. Control your Tektronix instruments rig
from your PC. Automate measurements and analyze data across multiple instruments. Capture and save results. Create reports. Take your te
bench from average to extraordinary.
www.rs-components.com/tektronix
Now its easier than ever to debug those complex designs
Basic Oscilloscopes
I 40 MHz to 500 MHz bandwidth
I Up to 25 automatic measurements
I Battery operation available*
*Depends on model.
Bench Oscilloscopes
I 100 MHz to 1 GHz bandwidth
I Up to 20 MB record length
I Up to 4 analog and 16 digital channels
I Parallel and serial bus analysis
I Wave Inspector for fast navigation of data
Handheld Oscilloscopes NEW!
I 100 MHz to 200 MHz bandwidth
I Isolated channels
I CAT III 600V safety rated
Digital Multimeters
I 5.5 digit and 6.5 digit resolution
I Dual display
I Statistics, histogram and trending modes
Arbitrary/Function Generators
I Up to 240 MHz bandwidth
I One or two channel models
I 12 standard waveforms, including arbitrary
Power Supplies NEW Extended Range!
I Up to 72 V output range
I Up to 0.5 mV and 0.1 mA resolution
I Single, dual & triple outputs
Timer/Counter/Analysers
I 12 Digit/s frequency resolution
I 50ps time resolution
I Measurement statistics, histogram
& trend plots
2009 Tektronix, Inc. All rights reserved. Tektronix products are covered by U.S. and foreign patents, issued and pending. TEKTRONIX and the Tektronix logo are registered trademarks and LabVIEW SignalExpress is a trademark of National Instruments.
Industry Leading 3-Year Warranty included with all
Tektronix bench instruments.
NEW
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
3/25
twitter.com/RSElectronics
ELE_0034_0112 eTech ISSUE 9 0
or Tablet
Today the world regards the electronics industry as leading-edge.
The national press use terms like state-o-the-art and dynamic
to describe the perpetual cycle o innovation and development o
electronic technologies. The gadget-media have even managed
to make electronics appear glamorous within technophile
circles, with certain products and brands becoming iconic ashionextras. And while its engaging and rewarding to be involved in
this cutting-edge, high-tech industry, there are times when even
the most sophisticated new technologies require some simple,
traditional design tools and products to implement them.
In this edition o eTech, we ocus on the everyday ingredients that
provide the basic building blocks common to every electronic design.
These electronic essentials can be ound on every bench, in every
lab, and range rom the simplest components and tools, through
power and saety products, to test and measurement equipment.
And in character with our dynamic industry, youll even nd that some
o these elementary items have been improved and enhanced!
I hope you enjoy this issue o eTech!
Glenn JarrettHead o Electronics Marketing
Terms and conditions:Terms and
conditions o sale set out in the current
RS Catalogue. This issue is valid rom
January 2012 to March 2012
Published by: RS Components
Limited. Registered oice:
Birchington Road, Weldon, Corby,
Northamptonshire NN17 9RS.
Registered No. 1002091. RS
Components Ltd 2011.
RS are trademarks o RS
Components Limited. An
Electrocomponents Company.
05 RS NEWSLINE
06 INDUSTRY NEWSLINE08 COMMODITY PROCESSORS12 PRODUCT NEWS
14 WHICH COMMUNITY BOARDS17 ITS COOL TO BE GREEN18 MEMORY TRENDS20 DISPLAYS24 COMPONENT LIBRARIES26 DESIGN TIPS : LOW-COST
HEADPHONE AMP
30 MOLEX32 ELECTRONICS EXTRA34 THE GOOGLE ADK38 CONNECTOR TECHNOLOGIES
40 DESIGNSPARK.COM42 iSAY
See us at Hall 1 Stand 156
For more inormation go towww.embedded-world.de
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
4/25
NEW
eTech I
The Tokai University solar car team, sponsored by
RS Components, has won the World Solar Challenge(WSC) for the second year in a row following
an epic 3,000km dash across Australia.
The competition, which was held between 16-23 October2011, started in Darwin in the North of Australia and travelled
south to Adelaide covering a total distance of 3,021km. Despite
being in fifth place after qualifying, the Tokai Challenger
car ran smoothly to complete the race in 32 hours and 45minutes, reaching the finish line at 1pm on 20 October.
The car used HIT solar cells, which have the worlds highest
energy conversion rate. This was supported with high-capac
lithium-ion batteries provided by Panasonic. Super lightweig
carbon ibre material was supplied or the body which enab
the weight o the vehicle to be reduced to a mere 140kg.
Proessor Hideki Kimura, an expert in solar car technology,
I would like to acknowledge all the sponsors, academics a
students or supporting the team. We are delighted with th
and very proud to have had the chance to support all the d
and talented people that make up the Tokai University team
This month sees a change to our Swiss website designed to make purchasingonline rom RS even easier. Over 550,000 products rom leading manuacturers
across our electronics, automation and maintenance ranges, can now be purchased
online in Swiss rancs. All items purchased online are available with ree delivery.
Feedback rom a recent survey shows customers already heavily engaging
with the Swiss website, which was launched in 2010. With the addition o local
currency pricing RS is urther enhancing the online purchasing experience and
continuing to deliver on our commitments to support the Swiss market.
Our online shop is availableat www.rsonline.ch
RS sponsored team wins World Solar Challenge 2011Tokai University team claim victory in worlds largest solar car race or 2nd year running.
Pricing Makeover or Swiss WebsiteMore than 550,000 products rom leading manuacturersare now available to buy online in Swiss rancs
Agilent 34405A
Most economical
Agilent 34401A
Industry standard
Agilent 34411A
Most advanced
2011 Agilent Technologies, Inc.
Lab accuracy. Production line speed.
And a world of choice.
Improve your DMM measurements today
FREE measurement tips and videos
www.agilent.com/find/DMMPromoWW
n the QR code or visit
//goo.gl/2XcBq to see a
0A DMM product tour
Fast Forward with exceptional speed & accuracy
Agilent digital multimeters are filled with capabilities that
make your R&D or manufacturing testing faster and more
efficient. From high value to high performance, no one gives
you more great choices.
Agilent and our
Distributor NetworkRight Instrument.Right Expertise.
Delivered Right Now. www.rs-components.com/agilent
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
5/25
NDUSTRYEWS
Mrs. Isolde Rtzer.
eTech ISSUE 9
ust imagine the ollowing scenario: our
people are comortably ensconced in am. Each one o them can watch a lm
m the Internet on his or her laptop, in HD
lity. This is made possible thanks to optical
AN. Light rom the LEDs in the overhead
ts serves as the transer medium. For a
g time, this was just a vision or the uture.
wever, since scientists rom the Fraunhoer
titute or Telecommunications, Heinrich
rtz Institute HHI in Berlin, Germany, have
eloped a new transer technology or
eo data within the scope o the OMEGA
ect o the EU, its implementation in real
is getting markedly closer. At the end o
y, the scientists were able to present the
ults o the project in Rennes, France. They
re able to transer data at a rate o 100
gabits per second (Mbit/s) without any
ses, using LEDs in the ceiling that light up
re than ten square metres (90 square eet).
The receiver can be placed anywhere
within this radius, which is currently
the maximum range. This means
that we transerred our videos in
HD quality to our dierent laptops at
the same time, says Dr. Anagnostis
Paraskevopoulos rom the HHI.
The undamentals o visible light
communication (VLC) were developed
together with the industry partners
Siemens and France Telecom Orange Labs,
said the expert. At HHI, the team projectmanager Klaus-Dieter Langer is now urther
developing the new technology. For VLC the
sources o light in this case, white-light LEDs
provide lighting or the room at the same
time they transer inormation. With the aid o
a special component, the modulator, we turn
the LEDs o and on in very rapid succession
and transer the inormation as ones and zeros.
The modulation o the light is imperceptible
to the human eye. A simple photo diode on
the laptop acts as a receiver. As Klaus-Dieter
Langer explains, The diode catches the
light, electronics decode the inormation and
translate it into electrical impulses, meaning
the language o the computer. One advantage
is that it takes only a ew components to
prepare the LEDs so that they unction as
transer media. One disadvantage is that as
soon as something gets between the light and
the photo diode (or example, when someone
holds his hand over the diode) the transer is
impaired. Laptops, Palm devices or mobile
telephones are all potential end devices.
The scientists emphasise that VLC is
not intended to replace regular WLAN,
PowerLAN or UMTS. It is best suited as an
additional option or data transer where radiotransmission networks are not desired or
not possible without needing new cables
or equipment in the house. Combinations
are also possible, such as optical WLAN in
one direction and PowerLAN or the return
channel. Films can be transerred to the
PC like this and also played there, or they
can be sent on to another computer.
The new transmission technology is suitable
or hospitals, or example, because radio
transmissions are not allowed there. Despite
this act, high data rates must be transmitted
without losses and unzipped, according to
the experts. I part o the communication
occurs via the light in the surgical room,
this would make it possible to control
wireless surgical robots or transmit x-ray
images. In airplanes, each passenger could
view his own entertainment program on a
display, saving aircrat manuacturers miles
o cables. Another possible venue or the
application o this technology are production
acilities, where radio transmissions very
oten interere with the processes.
Currently the scientists are developing
their systems toward higher bit rates.
Using red-blue-green-white light LEDs,
we were able to transmit 800 Mbit/s in
the lab, said Klaus-Dieter Langer.
gular LEDs can be turned into opticalLAN with only a ew additionalmponents thanks to visible lightmmunication (VLC). The LEDs are
en not simply lighting up, they are alsonserring data. They send lms in HDality to your iPhone or laptop, withloss in quality, quickly and saely.
Data is travelling by light
Microswitches include standard types, low torque sealed switches and a number of industryspecific models:
D2HW ultra sub-miniature sealed switch with an extra long stroke for reliable on/off action
V reliable and safe basic switch with switching currents of 10 21A. Widely used in applicationswhere long life expectancy is required
D3SH surface mount detection switch, ultra small size and ultra low profile with a unique mechanismthat enables high contact reliability and high precision operation
Tactile Switches our range of switches includes standard, illuminated, sealed, keytops, hinged anddome types which include:
B3D ultra-low profile dome key with Omrons unique circular contact action that ensures a high levelof resistance to foreign matter
B3W-9 a compact illuminated switch with 2 LEDs
B3AL a compact long-stroke switch for demanding applications
DIP Switches consist of rotary, piano and slide including our latest addition:
A6SN leading edge high pressure mechanics ensure high reliability and washing without seal tape
Omron designs operability, user-friendliness into all of its switches visit www.omron-rs.eu formore information.
Omron
www.omron-rs.eu
Omrons range of switches include quality, precision microswitches, tactile
and DIP switches which cover a range of different applications.
Factory Automation
Building Automation
Medical
Energy
Automotive
Switch Solutions
Share your views...www.designspark.com/etech
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
6/25
Dave Pike, Marketing Engineer
Since their invention and frst production in
the early 1970s, MCUs have been designedand manuactured by a large number o
semiconductor companies, which have
historically developed their MCU product
lines primarily on their own proprietary
architectures. Especially in the 8-bit marketwith devices such as the H8 rom Renesas, the
ST6/7 rom STMicroelectronics, the PIC rom
Microchip, but also in the 32-bit market, such
as the R32 and SuperH rom Renesas or thePower Architecture rom Freescale or C28x
rom Texas Instruments, to name just a ew.
However, over the past ten years or so, therehas been a growing trend among silicon
vendors not to develop their own proprietary
microprocessor cores, but to license cores andarchitecture rom IP companies such as ARM
and MIPS. These two companies, in particular,have ought head-on to win key designs or
advanced microprocessors, ASICs and ASSPs or
a range o embedded markets and applications,
but outside o the PC microprocessor socket.
Convergence on ARMToday, ARM is leading with the lions share
o this processor core market, and especiallyso in mobile wireless designs, no doubt
due to the architectures ability to deliver
industry-leading low-power consumption;
in addition to the compiled code density
advantages. ARMs Thumb instruction set wasfrst introduced in the ARM7TDMI core and
delivered a signifcant reduction in memory
requirements. Virtually every mobile or
smart phone being made today integrates anARM core. And the ARM architecture is also
growing ast in ASICs and ASSPs or industrial,
computer and consumer applications.
CortexM FamilyHowever, in the general-purpose MCU
market, over the past fve years or so,
consolidation has been extremely ast with
ARM rising to be the leading player in deliveringmicroprocessor cores. A number o vendors
initially launched MCU amilies based on the
ARM7TDMI, with some ollowing up with
products based on the ARM9TDMI. The realbreakthrough, however, has been the Cortex-M
amily, and in particular the Cortex-M3.
The core, launched in 2004, was developedspecifcally or implementation in MCUs and
makes a strong case to be named the leading
general-purpose 32-bit MCU processor
used across an exceptionally broad range o
embedded markets. It has now been adopted
by several major chipmakers including(LPC1x00), ST Microelectronics (ST) ST
Texas Instruments (TI) Stellaris. While
leading companies still maintain ASIC
processor development programmes, which integrate ARM cores such as the
Cortex-A8 or A9, increasingly their res
roadmaps or general-purpose MCUs
on ARM Cortex-M cores. Interestingly hal-way through 2011 TI launched a du
bit MCU series that integrates both its
core and a Cortex-M3 to control the pe
The other two Cortex amily membersand M4, are also seeing increased pro
in new MCU amilies. The M0 is ARMs
most code compact and most energy-
core; and the M4 essentially adds increcapabilities over the M3. NXP, ST and
with its Kinetis amily, have all announ
M4-based amilies over the past year o
while NXP and ST have also either intror announced Cortex-M0 varieties. Acc
to ARM, the total number o licensees
Cortex-M amily, including the M0, M3
processor cores is now just below thre
Although, in what appears to be an ex
to the rule at least or a major MCU
Microchip has based its 32-bit PIC MCU
on the MIPS M4K32-bit processor corePIC architecture is also still a major pa
at 8-bit, certainly in terms o unit volum
A key advantage or Microchip, arguab
the multitude o students that enter intindustry each year and who are amilia
MCUs due to its widespread use in un
and college engineering departments.
Eating into 8bit?O course, the 8-bit market has been lo
talked about as eventually being devo
high perormance, and low-cost 32-bit
But the market or lower data-width prcontinues to survive and prosper, fnd
applications with the continual and incpervasion o electronics in consumer p
household goods and medical devicesothers. However, 32-bit devices contin
make inroads into the more mature ap
at the expense o 8-bit and 16-bit MCU
latest 32-bit MCUs bring massively inc
unctionality and a myriad o on-chip p and at increasingly competitive price
reaching as low as a dollar a chip. Or l
Continue
he generalpurpose microcontroller, or MCU, is now a commodity product.Perhaps this is an overstatement. But in one sense, at least, it can beongly supported by the growing trend in the use o processor cores thatare a common or open architecture. Today, while there are still plenty oCU vendors, it appears that 32bit MCU roadmaps are increasingly based
processor cores developed by one company: ARM.
eTech IeTech ISSUE 9
Charting theConvergence to a
Common Controller Core
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
7/25
Our online quote tool is so quick give you a slice o your day
www.rscomponents.com
ONLINE QUOTES
Moving to a Common ArchitectureCertainly there are multiple challenges
and major issues to consider or MCU
vendors to even deviate rom theirproprietary architectures. All the years o
investment, in terms o hardware, sotware
and development tools, are not so easy
to give up. And are they
willing to put doubts incustomers minds about
uture roadmaps and all
their legacy code developed
specifcally or a particularMCU architecture or amily?
Naturally, an open
architecture can bring huge
benefts or customers, suchas being able to source rom
a large number o vendors
or migrate rom one toanother or reasons o cost
or perormance or peripheralselection. Although
Cortex-M3 based MCUs, or
example, are not going to
be identical, the migration process rom onevendor to another, while not being trivial,
should not pose the same level o challenge
to change between substantially dierent
proprietary architectures. Also, given theseperilous times, the market has seen some
signifcant consolidation o MCU vendors
over the past ew years. In the industrial
market especially, customers need to rely on
a processor being around or 10 to 15 years ormore. So the common architecture may bring
a signifcant degree o obsolescence saety.
Another advantage is the wide availabilityo sotware component libraries, enabling
benefts in time-to-market. The move to
a common ARM architecture also means
the wide availability o ARM-baseddevelopment/debugging tools rom all
the leading third-party tool vendors.
Selection by Peripheral
I the trend or MCU vendors is to basetheir product portolios around the non-
proprietary or open architecture o
ARM, then they will need to fnd other
ways o dierentiating their products. Anumber o actors will be included in the
process or selecting an MCU, including
the microprocessor core, speed, memory,
peripheral selection, price, developmenttools, operating system and sotware
support. The choice o the processor
core should determine, or at least
influence, some o the other options.
But, it appears that the industry is moving
into the phase where it is the selection o
peripherals that is paramount, and less achoice based on the MCU core unctionality.
Certainly peripherals are a key actor in
choosing or specifc applications. So it
could be that ollowing the convergencearound the ARM Cortex amily (i.e. the
processor core becomes the commodity),
there will be a divergence o solutions
that oer many dierent combinations operipherals or diverse and niche markets,
relatively speaking. So, we might fnd two
or three key suppliers oering product or
each major MCU market, or example in
high-quality audio where an I2S outputis obligatory. And then a whole host o
suppliers positioned somewhere in the
mainstream oering similar memory, I/O
and wireless options, undamentally fghtingit out based on price. Is this what the MCU
market could look like in a ew years time?
Customer DierentiationPerhaps the market will all out based on
how easy chip vendors make it or customers
to dierentiate their own products. NXP,
or example, has its low-cost development
based on the mbed board. This meansthat the vendor now has a community o
engineers that is developing chunks o
application code and protocol stacks to
drive various peripherals. This can enablecustomers to ocus on the sotware that
will dierentiate their product, rather than
having to worry about lower-level drivers
and protocol stacks. And certainly not onlyNXP; other examples include Freescale
with its Kinetis Tower community and
TI has its BeagleBoard community.
So, have we reached the point where
software is the value-add and thesilicon is now a commodity?
< Continued from page 09
eTech ISSUE 9
Virtually every mobileor smart phone being
made today integratesan ARM core. And the
ARM architecture isalso growing ast in
ASICs and ASSPs orindustrial, computer andconsumer applications.
YOUR CHOICEYOUR eTechFor your chance to WIN a RemoteControlled Flying Drone
Tell us how you want to receive your eTechPlease tick your option and send it to us.
Please tick your option
Send your responses to.
RS Components Ltd, eTech Team, DPN 26,
Corby, Northamptonshire, NN17 9RS
OR Email; [email protected]
What is the AR.Drone?The AR.Drone is a groundbreaking device combining
the best o many worlds, including modelling,video gaming and augmented reality.
The AR.Drone is remote-controlled by an iPhone. The
device eatures a number o sensors, including a ron
camera, a vertical camera and an ultrasound altimete
The AR.Drone can also be used in video games,
such as AR.FlyingAce, a dogght between two
AR.Drones. This game incorporates augmented
reality, especially or modelling missile re.Note: iPod touch, iPhone and iPad will be reerred to by the term iP
Terms and Conditions:This survey is being run by RS Components Ltd. When completing the survey, all inormation on the orm must be applied. No cash alternatives are available. The survey is open to all RS Components catalogue recipients. The closing date o the draw will be in the month o March 2012. The survey winner will be selected at random by RS Components and will be notied by April 2012. Responsibility cannot be accepted or lost entries, damaged or delayed in tran
Printed
Online
iPad/Android
Name:
Job Title:
Tel:
Email:
Share your views...www.designspark.com/etech
FIND IT:www.rscomponents.com/microcontrollerprocessor
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
8/25
RODUCTEWS
PRODN
eTech ISSUE 9 eTech ISee more online Over 5,000 new products are added at www.rscomponents.com/electronics every month
MICROELECTRONICSM32F4 DISCOVERY KITcortex highperormance
aluation board.
he STM32F4 Discovery Kit provides an
a low-cost development environment
bling engineers to start designing into
ications quickly using the new STM32F4
es o microcontrollers eaturing a 32-
ARM Cortex-M4 core. The kit includes
ST-LINK/V2 embedded tool or rapid
ugging and programming; a MEMS
tion sensor; a MEMS digital microphone
s audio DAC with integrated class D
aker driver; indicator LEDs; pushbuttons;
a USB OTG micro-AB connector.
Web search term: STM32F4DISCOVERY
PANASONIC EEU-FR1 SERIESRadial leaded aluminiumelectrolytic capacitors.
nPanasonics latest EEU-FR1 series
capacitors eature ultra-Low ESR and long-
lie (up to 10,000 hours at 105C) thanks to
the use o improved material technology.
They are suitable or switching mode
adaptors, line noise removal and other
products with long lietime requirements.
RS Web search term: EEUFR1C
NXP LPC11XX SERIES M0CORTEX PROCESSORSCortexM0 microcontrollerswith lowest active power andsuperior code density.
n Built around the Cortex-M0 architecture,
the smallest, lowest power, and most
energy-ecient ARM core ever developed,
these microcontrollers are a low-cost
alternative or use in many traditional
8/16-bit applications. The devices oer
high perormance, low power, a simple
instruction set and memory addressing
together with reduced code size
compared to 8/16-bit architectures.
RS Web search term: LPC1111
GILENT DC POWER SUPPLY031A (2x 30V/6A; 5V/3A);032A (2x 60V/3A; 5V/3A).
he U803XA rom Agilent Technologies is a high watt manual
wer supply. It consists o 2 variable and 1 xed channel
vering high power. The analogue ront panel programming
vides pre-arranged power setting and easy single button
cution. Aimed at customers working within electronics
nuacturing, education and electrical manuacturing, eatures
ude dual-channel LCD or voltage and current, excellent load
ulation (0.01% +/- 2 mV), low output noise o 1 mVrms
mVrms typical), and ast < 50 usec transient response.
Web search term: U8031A & U8032A
BOURNS CRM2512SERIES PULSE RESISTANTPOWER RESISTORVery wide resistance range.
nThe CRM2512 Series is a thick lm
power resistor with a rating o 2 watts
in a standard 2512 chip ormat. This
product has a very wide resistance range
making it suitable or applications in
power supply circuits including current
sensing and inrush current limiting.
RS Web search term: CRM2512
HARTING HARAXCIRCULAR CONNECTORSM12L shielded 2103 series.
nHartings modular RJ Ethernet connector
system provides a reliable data connection
in industrial and harsh environments. Based
on one o the smallest RJ45 Ethernet
cables to which 22 AWG cable can be
connected, the system allows or quick
eld assembly in less than one minute.
RS Web search term: 2103 281
TE CONNECTIVITY DPL12 SERIESVersatile range o 12mm horizontal rotaryLED encoders oers many options.
nAimed at applications such as power supplies, inverters and servo
systems, The range oers LED colour options, snap-in and PCB mountable
versions, knurled or fatted plastic shat types, contacts 100mohm
max rated at 0.5mA 5VDC, optional push switch rated at 10mA 5VDC,
single LED or non switch types and dual LED or switched types.
RS Web search term: DPL12SH
STMICROELECTRONICSSTM32F4 ARM CORTEX M4CORE MICROPROCESSOR168MHz ARM CortexM4with DSP and FPU.
nThe STM32F4 microcontroller amily
enables developers to leverage the
advanced signal-processing capabilities and
increased speed o the ARM Cortex-M4
processor with Floating Point Unit (FPU),
thus widening applications to the digital
signal controller (DSC) market. The
devices are suited to compute-intensive
applications including point-o-sale,
industrial automation, transportation, test
and measurement, medical, security,
consumer and communications.
RS Web search term: STM32F4
MICROCHIP PIC32MXAUDIO DEVELOPMENTBOARD32bit microcontrollerbaseddevelopment kit or thecreation o highquality24bit audio applications.
nMicrochips audio Development Board
eatures its 80 MIPS PIC32 MCU, a
24-bit Wolson audio codec, a two-inch
colour LCD, a USB interace, and an
onboard microphone. The kit provides a
fexible platorm or the development o
audio recording and playback products,
and oers USB digital audio, MP3
decode and sample rate conversion.
RS Web search term: DM320011
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
9/25
eTech ISSUE 9 eTech I
n the entrylevel opensourceembedded community
The competition or hearts and minds in the opensource embedded development community continuespace with microcontroller (MCU) vendors building upeir respective online communities. So what are theading entrylevel, opensource development boards?ch has a growing community, which appear at leastbe increasingly driven by customers and less by the
CU or board manuacturers. The our boards underamination Kinetis, mbed, Arduino and BeagleBoard
oer reasonably dierent levels o unctionality and areositioned at varying price points.
netise Kinetis boards are based on Freescale
miconductors amily o 32-bit ARM
tex-M4 based MCUs and are general-
pose development systems aimed
range o embedded applications.
e boards are available as stand-alone
cessor modules, or as part o a kit
used in combination with a varietyperipheral boards, such as serial
nectivity (USB, Ethernet RS232/485),
2.11b WiFi, memory and LCD modules.
e Kinetis boards are ully compatible
h Freescales Tower System platorm,
ch enables the peripheral modules to
connected to the main processor board
additional backplane elevator boards.
e TWR-K60N512 module, or example, is
ontroller module that works as a stand-
alone tool; or it can connect to peripheral
modules. The board eatures the Kinetis K60
32-bit low-power Cortex-M4 based MCU.
System power can be delivered via the
onboard mini-USB connector, which also
provides the debug interace to an on-board
open-source JTAG (OSJTAG) IC. IDE sotware
and training materials are also included inthe basic controller module package.
The platorm is likely to be attractive to
those requiring a reasonably powerul
development system at an initial aordable
cost, but also one that is fexible and can
easily be expanded. The platorms modular
approach means it can meet the needs o
the entry-level user up to perhaps the smaller
companies that are engaged in signicantly
more advanced MCU development, but
with no access to expensive development
systems. It also means that the entire system
does not have to be replaced each time
the manuacturer launches a new MCU.
As the platorm comes rom a major
semiconductor vendor, user support is strong
in addition to widely available resources viathe third-party ARM ecosystem. The platorm
has a growing online community, available
at www.towergeeks.org, including access
to documentation and user orums.
ArduinoIn many ways the Arduino has been the trailblazer or low-cost open-
source development. Initially aimed at the hobbyist market, Smart
Projects, the maker o the very small low-cost boards, devised
a standard in terms o connectors, so various peripheral boards
called Shields could be mounted on top o the main Arduino PCB,
including the Motor Shield, which enables the control o DC motors
and read encoders, and the Ethernet Shield or connectivity.
The Arduino phenomenon went worldwide and now many small
companies also now make their own Arduino-compatible boards includin
the same connector layout, allowing the plug-in o Shields. The Arduino
is supported by its users and via orums, available at arduino.cc, rather
than its manuacturer, which has extremely limited application support,
thereore greatly limiting the boards potential use at larger companies.
The Arduino is primarily based on simple Atmel 8-bit AVR amily MCUs,
so it can perorm basic control unctions, but limited memory limits its
capabilities. The Arduino Uno board, or example, is a board based on th
ATmega328 MCU. It contains everything needed to support the MCU a
can be powered via the USB, a battery or external power adapter.
The open-source IDE can be downloaded or ree, which also runs unde
MS-Windows, Macintosh OSX and Linux operating systems. Arduino is
the exception in the our in that it is not an ARM-based MCU platorm.
Treadingthe Boards
Dr William Marshallentral Content Editor Semiconductors
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
10/25
eTech ISSUE 9 eTech I
bedsigned, introduced, and continually supported, by ARM, mbed is
mall and cheap open-source sotware based module designed
rapid MCU prototyping. The module enables a quick and easy
oduction to the normally expensive area o ARM core processing
educational purposes and other entry-level usage. It is positioned
meet the needs o those who may be exploring embedded
elopment or the rst time up to proessional embedded engineers.
e current implementation o the mbed board is based on an NXP
C1768 ARM Cortex-M3 MCU with interaces including Ethernet,
B, CAN, SPI and I2C. Available in a 40-pin DIP module, the board
e is only 44mm x 26mm and can be optionally powered via
USB port. The MBED module can achieve quite a lot with its
sonably powerul Cortex-M3 core, which is ast becoming the
ustry-standard low- to mid-range core or general-purpose MCU.
e module itsel does not have much peripheral interacing capability,
undamentally its a processor with a USB interace to a PC.
e unique element about mbed is the development tools that
based entirely in the cloud, and are eectively ree, with user
e being written and compiled in an online-based IDE (integrated
elopment environment). A user can buy the kit and register it at
ed.org, and then store their programs on the website, which alsoudes blogs, orums, user-contributed program libraries and other
elopment resources. Another advantage is it can be plugged into
web-connected computer, and programs can be downloaded
edited without the need or any PC sotware installation.
e disadvantage, o course, is that companies will not want
r preciously developed sotware out there on the web. So
annot be recommended or serious product development,
ecially at the latter stages o production, and they will need to
n to high-end proessional sotware and debugging tools.
iQ MotorEuropes largest motor and an manuacturer,
have created the iQ motor, which delivers
energy savings between 65-90%, and can
be installed quickly and cost eectively to
upgrade applications currently tted with Q
motors. From the outside the iQ motor is
visually the same as the standard Q motor,
however, that is where the similarities end.
Inside it is completely dierent and uses
cutting edge technology including a highly
ecient, energy saving EC motor, with
intelligent open and closed loop control. The
iQ motor provides the perect replacement
alternative to the out-dated Q motor. Using
permanent magnet motors with a direct
motor (DC), the iQ is more ecient than
the Qs synchronous (AC) motor, oering
average eciency savings o 70%.
RS Web search term: 714-2139
Compact Axial Fanebm-papst has introduced the new 2200F an
which oers a 65% higher cooling capacity,
a lower noise level and reduced power
consumption than ans traditionally installed
within servers, switch cabinets, and drives.
The new 2200F compact axial an solves
such cooling problems through its totally new
an development technology. 2200F delivers
improved perormance, lower noise pollution
and is contained within a smaller package
than that o previous generations. By reducing
the size o the compact an and its thickness,
ebm-papst has achieved a 65% higher cooling
capacity. However, this reduction in size
has not compromised perormance, instead
increasing it by 30%. Using fuid dynamic
modelling, a new axial an impeller was
developed or the 2200F, which increased
perormance and reduced noise levels by
8 decibels, while still delivering 30% more
airfow and continuing to use less energy. To
complement the impeller, a new motor with
a unique skew slot angle and commutation
sotware was designed, lowering motor noise
and running consumption, with an overall
design that achieves 85% motor eciency.
RS Web search term: 740-6376
imaxx Series ACii-maxx AC compact an is set to rev
the industry by overtaking traditiona
compact ans as the preerred choic
control cabinets, rerigeration techn
and lter ans. Unlike traditional AC
ans, the i-maxx is able to achieve u
energy savings, oers 70% longer
lie, is up to 8 decibels quieter and i
hal the weight. The new i-maxx ser
4400 represents the rst energy e
ully mechanical compatible alternat
the out-dated 120mm AC compact
achieving the same perormance an
unctions, without any compromise
product oers complete integration
transormer drive electronics into th
hub, which was made possible by o
the motor sensor-less commutation
by using newly designed electronic
use o enhanced aerodynamics, in
to the motor optimisation within the
i-maxx an, urther improves perorm
and the use o sickle blades and win
has reduced noise and improved e
when compared with traditional AC
RS Web search term:740-6389
BeagleBoardThe BeagleBoard was also designed to address the
open-source community. Texas Instruments originally
developed the board or use in educational institutions,
enabling students to learn about open source hardware
and sotware capabilities. However, the BeagleBoard
has evolved and is certainly at the top end, delivering
high-end perormance and expandability but it does
come attached with an accordingly higher price tag.
The new BeagleBoard-xM System is based on the
TI DaVinci DM3730 digital media processor, which
is compatible with TIs AM37x Sitara ARM-based
microprocessors. The DM3730 integrates a high-end 1GHz
super-scalar ARM Cortex-A8 core and a high-perormance
audio/video accelerator subsystem, based on an 800MHz
VLIW TMS320C64x+ DSP and video hardware accelerators.
The chip also includes a 3D graphics accelerator, in addition
to plenty o memory. While not all the eatures supplied by
the processor are accessible rom the BeagleBoard, the
system can be extended to add more eatures and interaces.
The board, which can optionally take power via the USB
OTG, includes a our-port high-speed USB 2.0 hub and 10/100Ethernet connectivity and a host o multimedia interaces and
connectors, including DVI-D or digital computer monitors and
high-denition TVs, S-Video (TV out) and stereo audio I/O.
The BeagleBoard is not intended by the manuacturer as a
ully embedded-development platorm, but is designed to
allow users to experience the perormance o its processors
and also to grow its community o designers. But given
its power and sophistication, especially its ability to handle
A/V processing, it could be used rom the entry-level
user up to low-end industrial application development.
Like the Kentics Tower, the platorm comes rom
a major chip vendor, so user support is good and
resources are available via the ARM ecosystem. The
online community is available at beagleboard.org.
FIND IT:or more inormation onommunity boards visit
www.rscomponents.com/evelopmentkits
Share your views...www.designspark.com/etech
Its Cool To Be Green
FIND IT:www.rscomponents.com/e
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
11/25
Share your views...www.designspark.com/etech
eTech ISSUE 9 eTech I
there is a semiconductor area considered a commodity, itsmemory. Certainly its the area that receives the most columnches. The rising or alling average selling price o whicheverAM chip that is in highest demand at the time is usually
ed as a bellwether or the overall semiconductor industry.
arkets and Manuacturersthe business ront, the semiconductor market is currently worth around
00 billion per year, and memory chips take a signicant slice o that pie; but
an extremely volatile share rom year to year. The costs or a manuacturer to
y in the market are high, the margins are increasingly slender, and prots are
en only made in the good years, unless you happen to be the market leader,
haps. The industry has a decreasing number o major players those that have
ater than 5% market share anyway with the past decade or so having seen
me serious consolidation o memory suppliers. It happened rst in DRAM,
in the past ew years, theres been a shake out in the leading manuacturers
non-volatile memories (NVM), which or the most part means Flash.
ocess, Architecture and Interconnectthe technology ront, a major challenge in memory chip development is to
p pace with the increasing perormance o microprocessors and deliver
ter and lower power-consuming memories. Increasing pressure is
unting on the memory makers to make improvements in architectures
to move to smaller process nodes, although o course memory
always been at the driving edge o silicon process development.
e necessary economics o technology shrinking has meant leading
AM manuacturers are now beginning production at the 30nm
de, with some vendors now sampling devices at 25nm. In NAND
sh, the most common type o Flash memory used or data storage
olid-state drives, USB Flash drives and multimedia memory
ds, leading manuacturers are now starting production o 64-Gbit
mories in process technologies ranging rom 20 to 30nm.
ovative memory architectures and structures are also required
h 3D memory technologies becoming increasingly important: at the
hnology process level, with DRAM memory cells being engineered in
structures, and at the silicon die level with the stacking o DRAM die
ng TSVs (Through-Silicon-Via) interconnects to meet the demands or
h density. And the advanced development o 3D NAND Flash memories
h vertical gate structures, oering high endurance and high reliability, is
easingly being seen to be a realistic prospect in the next year or so.
other issue in the industry is the potential o next-generation high-throughput
erconnect standard. In early 2011, JEDEC announced the Universal Flash
rage (UFS) standard, which is designed to be the most advanced specication
both embedded and removable Flash-based memory storage.
The semiconductor
market is currentlyworth around $300billion per year.
Memory FuturesLooking intothe Crystal or?
driven by increasingdemand or ast and lowpower memory in smart mobileconsumer devices such astablets and smartphones.
The standard has been specically tailored or mobile
applications and computing systems requiring high
perormance and low power consumption.
Flash Growth and Replacements?
Currently the Flash market is experiencing stronggrowth, largely driven by increasing demand or ast
and low-power memory in smart mobile consumer
devices such as tablets and smartphones. According
to 2010 data rom market analyst IHS iSuppli, the
leading memory technology or mobile applications
in the next ew years will be NAND Flash. It was
expected to account or around hal o the total
memory revenue in 2011 in mobile products, ollowed
by DRAM taking approximately one-third o the
market and NOR Flash memory taking the rest. As
a side note, none o this should diminish the role o
the traditional hard-disk drive that is delivering ever
increasing high-density storage capacities and is
not expected to be exiting the portable computing,
server or mobile consumer markets anytime soon.
Although it is unlikely to happen in the immediate
uture, with plenty o lie let in Flash as it continues
to scale, perhaps some o the most interesting
developments taking place in memory technology
today are the many possible long-term replacements
or Flash or standalone and embedded applications.
The leading contenders oer several advantages
over Flash, such as 100 times aster read/write times
and signicantly higher write cycle endurance:
Phase-Change Memory (PCM) data is gene
when various levels o current are applied to t
like material in PCM, changing the materials p
structure between crystalline and amorphous
As current can be delivered at variable levels,
could allow data storage o more than one bit
Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FeR
or FRAM)behaves similarly to DRAM in that allows random access to each individual bit o
read and write operations. It has a cell capacit
uses a erroelectric material in which an electr
eld can be applied to polarise the material.
Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory
(MRAM)and the second-generation MRAM,called SST-MRAM (Spin Transer Torque MRA
uses magnetic storage elements. The technol
promises the potential replacement o not jus
Flash, but also DRAM and SRAM memories.
Resistive RAM (RRAM) technology is based
the electronic switching (current or voltage ind
o a resistor element material between two st
resistive states (low/high). Research institute
predicts that RRAM devices with a stacked st
could enter into the market at 11nm. It believe
Flash will scale as ar as 20nm, with SONOS
(Silicon-Oxide-Nitride-Oxide-Silicon) Flash as a
intermediate step at 17nm and 14nm nodes.
FIND IT:www.rscomponents.com/memory
Mark Cundle, Technical Marketing Manager
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
12/25
Declining protability olargesize LCD panelsJapans LCD panel manuacturers are being
obliged to make a turnaround in their
respective strategies. Since the turn o the
century, despite the emerging need or
small-to-medium sized LCD panels or high-unctionality mobile phones, camcorders,
digital still cameras, satnav products, PDAs
and so on, the global LCD market hasgenerally revolved around the competitionto develop and produce large-size panels
or TVs. Now, more than a decade into the
new century, these products are being
supplied in large quantities, with SouthKorean and Taiwanese manuacturers
leading the feld. China, too, has begun
stepping up production to meet its own
domestic consumption - it is becoming selsufcient in this respect, standing at 39%
in 2011, and likely to rise beyond 100% in
2013. An obvious outcome o this high level
o volume production worldwide will be a
all in proftability or manuacturers
in this sector. Growth has levelled
o and prices are already alling orTV LCD panels up to 40 inches.
This contrasts sharply with the
rocketing demand or small-to-medium size high-defnition displays
or smartphones, tablets, 3D displays,
electronic paper and many others. For
example, the markets or smartphone LCDsand tablet displays are increasing at 51%
and 33% per year, respectively. Citing just
one example why, the production volume
in 2012 or Apples iPad is expected to reach
between 80 million and 100 million units.
Sharp ramps up, while rivalsestablish a new company
Japans LCD panel manuacturers arekeenly aware o this global market change
and have responded by adjusting course,
veering away rom the large and toward
the small-to-medium size panels.
Sharp, a leading Japanese manuacturer
o LCD panels, used to make panels o
all sizes, but its Kameyama No.1 and 2Plants, previously used or large-size TV-
screen panels, are now being turned over
to the production o small - to - medium
size panels. The large-panel production
equipment at Plant No.1 has already
been sold to a Chinese manuact
Were going to shit our LCD opinto a high-growth business feld
Sharps President, Miko Katayam
a press conerence held to annou
the companys restructuring movWe wont battle in a market whe
the victors cant even turn a prof
Meanwhile, three other companihave become leaders in making s
- to - medium size LCD panels To
Mobile Display, Hitachi Displays a
Mobile Display and Panasonic a
merge their operations and estabnew company, provisionally nam
Display KK, that will specialise in
displays. The merger will be com
Q2 2012 with a sales target o 750
yen or Japan Display to be achieFY2016 (ending March 2016). The
perormance o the three compan
2010 represents as much as 22%,o global demand; so Japan Disp
to become the de acto worlds l
manuacturer o small - to - medi
LCD panels. A company known a
Innovation Network Corporation (INCJ) is also playing a part in this
Japans Display IndustryShis Towards Smaller LCDs
Continue
Faced with the rapidly growingdemand or smalltomedium sizedhighdenition displays or smartphones,tablets and other smart mobileproducts, LCD panel manuacturers inJapan are now shiing their businessocus away rom larger display panelsand towards smaller ones.
eTech IeTech ISSUE 9
By Mr. Hideaki Sakazume
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
13/25
NEW! Re-inforced DC/DC Powup to 10kVDC isolation!Converters with High Isolation and Low Leakage Current for Medical Applic
Basic Features:
Triple reinforced isolation
up to 10kVDC/5kVAC
Ultra-compact design
- 1 & 2 Watt in SIP7 package
- 3.5 & 6 Watt in DIP24 package
Efficiency up to 86%EN-, CSA- and UL-certified
Low standby current (1mA)
3 year warranty
RECOM has succeeded in solving the
of fitting triple-reinforced isolation
compact case size. With their revol
re-inforced-technology in standard
DIP24 packages, 8kVDC or 10kVDC
can finally be realized. Thanks to a 30%
transformer coupling capacitance, th
also have an extremly low leakage cu
common requirement in medical appl
Unique technology at an affordable p
The ultra-compact REC6-Series
in DIP24-package is
isolated up to 10kVDC.
unched in 2010, the INCJ is government
cked, having received 82 billion yengovernment investment, plus another
billion yen o capital rom the private
tor. The president o Japan Display
o be hired rom outside o the threenders, and 70% o its voting-rights
ares will be held by the INCJ. So, the
rger amounts to something approaching
ational policy measure. Leadingmiconductor manuacturers in Japan
ve already set precedents or this type
merger. Examples include the company
w known as Elpida Memory Inc., ormedm the merged DRAM operations o NEC,
achi and Mitsubishi, and semiconductor
nuacturer Renesas Electronicsrporation, also ormed rom the same
ee companies.
veraging technological superiorityhe words o INCJ CEO Kimikazu Noumi:
With small-to-medium size displays, they to growth lies in technologies that add
ue by raising defnition, widening the
wing angle and lowering the power
nsumption. This is where Japansnuacturers can leverage their world-
ss levels o technological muscle.
e big question is whether Japans
nuacturers can make use o theirque leading-edge technology to become
minant in this sector; which are the
tinctive leading-edge technologies
portant to small and medium sizeplays. LCD panel technology can be
adly divided into two strands: the frst
ncerns the displays themselves, and the
ond relates to the Thin-Film TransistorsTs) that drive the displays.
king the overall display strand frst: a
hnology called In-Plane Switching (IPS)
nown to be predominant. In IPS, whichs developed by Hitachi, not only are the
ve transistors built-in with the electrical
d parallel to the substrate, the liquid
stals themselves are also horizontallyentated, eliminating the need or
ctrodes on the glass substrate through
ich the light passes. In an IPS display,
ike a Twisted-Nematic (TN) displaya Vertical-Alignment (VA) display, the
uid crystal molecules are not orientated
tically vis--vis the glass substrate.
s results in a panel with superior photo-
nment properties: or example, there
are minimal variations in brightness and
colour depending on the viewing angle.IPS displays are also resistant to pressure,
which enables them to be used or touch-
panel screens. As is well known, the Apple
iPhone 4 uses an IPS panel called a RetinaDisplay. However, horizontal alignment
o the crystals is not unique to Japanese
manuacturers, as there are similar
technologies such as Fringe Field Switching(FFS), which is used by the Taiwanese
company Hydis.
Another promising panel technology
is organic light-emitting diodes(OLEDs). However, when it comes to
commercialising OLEDs, the major players
are rom South Korea, such as Samsung,
which have overtaken the Japanesecompanies.
The second important technology element
relates to Thin-Film Transistors (TFTs).Probably the most important actor is the
rat o technologies surrounding Low-
Temperature Polysilicon (LTPS). Most o
todays small-to-medium sized displays
employ TFTs using amorphous silicon.However, or products requiring high
defnition, such as smartphones, orming
displays using LTPS is advantageous and
increasingly proftable. This is becausethe charge mobility o polysilicon is
signifcantly higher than that o amorphous
silicon. So the TFTs can be downsized.
Incidentally, the low temperature inlow-temperature polysilicon reers to
the act that the TFTs can be ormed at
temperatures lower than 650 degrees C,
which is the deormation temperature
o the glass substrate o the LCD. Thisallows TFTs to be ormed on the substrate,
enabling higher defnition. However, once
again, LTPS technology is not unique to
Japanese manuacturers.
Another signifcant actor concerningTFTs is the advancement o technologies
relating to materials. A prime exampleis transparent amorphous oxide
semiconductors (TAOS). Sharp, or
example, has developed a technology or
manuacturing Gen 8 (2160 x 2460 mm)
IGZO panels, which it will, according tothe company, supply or use in tablet PCs.
IGZO is a variety o TAOS whose principal
constituents are indium, gallium and zinc.
In addition to its high charge-mobility, aspecial eature o IGZO is its permeability
to visible light when in thin-flm orm, and
can thereore be used to make flm that is
almost transparent.
Another string to Sharps bow is continuousgrain silicon (CGS) technology. In CGS,
the silicon crystals in the LTPS are aligned
regularly, which raises the charge mobility
to approximately 600 times that o
amorphous silicon, and about our timesthat o LTPS, attaining a speed close to that
o single-crystalline silicon. Using CGS,
other circuits can also be mounted on the
LCD substrate. Arguably, this technologyholds great potential or developing a
system-on-chip with an integral display.
Sharp recently indicated its intention to use
CGS or smartphone displays.
In light o these acts, Japans displaymakers appear well equipped with a
number o leading-edge technologiesor small-to-medium sized LCD panels.
However, this does not necessarily mean
these technologies are unique enough
or Japan to establish overwhelming
dominance in the ace o internationalcompetition. Peripheral technologies
also have a large part to play. These
include technologies relating to glass
and other materials, abrication devices,techniques such as lithography, along
with technologies or testing and
evaluation. Having changed course
to ocus on small-to-medium sizeLCDs, Japans manuacturers will need
to consider all these actors when
predicting what lies ahead. One thing is
certain: it will not be plain sailing.
ontinued from page 21
eTech ISSUE 9
FIND IT:www.rscomponents.com/displays
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
14/25
Ian Bromley, Marketing Engineer
Download...DesignSpark PCB from
www.designspark.com/pcb
Estimates are not easy to make, but certainly the cost is
high in the industry overall i PCB design teams worldwide
are recreating parts libraries or their specifc CAD tools,duplicating much o the same work. Each time a manuacturer
introduces a new component, it gets built into libraries at
hundreds or thousands o dierent companies and in many
dierent ways. Competitive advantage is crucial obviously,but rom an end-user companys point o view, does a
proprietary component data library really create that much-
needed competitive edge, especially when combined with
all the other dierentiators oered by a creative design?
Seeking a standard
So what are the chances o agreement on an industry-standard ormat or easy component data library exchange,
or even a global o-the-shel component library? There isno widely accepted industry standard that defnes all o
the pin inormation or a component, in addition to its size,
or entry into a layout tool, ultimately achieving urther
automation o the PCB design and manuacturing process. Itsunderstood that the design tools community, the component
manuacturers and companies involved in PCB design
will all have dierent interests. Component manuacturers
regularly change package types and also have a tendency
to opt or unique packaging or many products, hopingto eliminate competition with the aim o achieving single-
source supply. And generally, manuacturers have not yet
ound the motivation to provide their data in the dierent
available CAD tool ormats. CAD vendors, also perhaps,have insufcient motivation to support a standard library
ormat; internally developed extensive libraries are product
dierentiators. Additionally, many o the larger global design
and manuacturing companies also consider it a dierentiatorand library management to be a cost worth swallowing.
However, there is a great deal o motivation rom end users,
generally, but it is difcult to accomplish because CAD
vendors implement libraries in dierent ways. So translatingthe data is a serious challenge and individual companies and
users fnd themselves building libraries time and again.
Proposals in the pastOver the years there have been standards proposed and
introduced, such as IPC-SM-782 (Surace Mount Design and
Land Pattern Standard), developed by the IPC in the 1980s and
early 1990s. The IPC (www.IPC.org) is a global trade associationthat represents around 3000 electronics companies involved
in PCB design, manuacturing, assembly and test. The latest
incarnation o the successor to IPC-SM-782 is IPC-7351B.
Based on this standard, sotware tools are available rom manyvendors that oer land pattern calculators and generators
or the creation o new part libraries. But, the take-up is
certainly not widespread. There have also been
other attempts over the years, competing with proposals, but all doomed to insignifcance, thu
In all probability, i a standard is to emerge, it w
a groundswell o the smaller design companies
their increasing use o component search engin
available at global electronics distributor webs
The Ultra Librarian SolutionOne company that is oering a ast emerging s
is Accelerated Designs. The company oers a tool caLibrarian (UL), which is capable o storing vendor-ne
descriptions o ootprint and schematic symbols, in a
to industry-accepted pad geometry calculations or ve
specifed pad geometries. According to Accelerated many CAD companies have aided in the developmen
tool enabling it to export data in the most usable orm
a number o leading semiconductor companies are a
using the tools to deliver both ootprint and symbols
Widely available or ree download, the UL Reader, a
o the Ultra Librarian toolset, can generate, import an
components and their attributes, via vendor-neutral
fles, in virtually any PCB schematic layout package. Dootprints generated by the UL Reader are actually ba
on the IPC-7351 specifcation. Additionally, end users
modiy the standards used to build the component s
and ootprints to match their own internal standards purchasing an upgrade to the Ultra Librarian suite.
Bigger than the sum o itHowever, all the various interested parties o the PCB
ecosystem will need to co-ordinate in the flow o parCrucially important in this process are the semicondu
manuacturers and their willingness to provide comp
in an open interchange ormat. I made available, the
electronics component distributors will be able to proeasy access to basic part data or CAD tools. As an ex
the DesignSpark website, supporting the popular De
PCB design tool, now oers bxl ormat libraries rom
manuacturers such as STMicroelectronics and MicroAnd, at that point, the global distributor website beco
highly signifcant library resource or design enginee
Component Librariesand the Challengeso Cooperation
A component library is obviously a core unctionalelement in a CAD PCBdesign tool. Without itwell a car doesnt go without uel. A rather cheapanalogy perhaps, but it leads sharply to: who isresponsible or producing the library? The shortanswer mostly appears to be: the end user, ashas been the case ever since the developmentand introduction o electronic design tools.
eTech IeTech ISSUE 9
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
15/25
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
DEESIGNPS
P1
10k
63V
C1
4u7R1
10k
T1 T2
P2
100R
T3
R2
1k
R3
1k
R4
270R
D2
1N4148
D1
R7
4k7
T4
T7
T6
T5
D4
D3
1N4148
R10
10R
R11
10R
R8
150R
R6
10kR5
1k5
16V
C4
100u
C2
6p8
C3
10p
R9
150R
T1,T2,T3,T5= BC550CT4= BC560CT6= BD139T7= BD140
100701- 11
R1
1
A
B
DEC
HF
I J
G
K
2x
2x
+ +
+
Figure 1. The circuit or the simple headphoneuses easy to get components
(one channel shown).
Figure 2. The completed circuit is stilcompact despite the lack o SMDs.
eTech ISSUE 9 eTech I
here have o course been numerous designs orheadphone ampliers beore this one, either
ore or less successul and simpler or moreaborate. The design presented in this article isaightorward, sounds quite good and can beilt using wellestablished components.
Stean Dellemann (Germany)
LOW-COST HEADPHONE AMPMusic to your ears
These days its not that easy to nd a
separate headphone amplier in the
shops. They do exist, especially in the hi-
world, but they come with a matching
price tag. The design presented here
comes in a bit below these high-end
circuits, but can be built using easily
obtainable components and still managesto have quite a good sound quality.
The circuitThe circuit could be described as a type o
power-amp, built with discrete components
(see Figure 1). At the input we nd a
volume control (P1, which is connected
via a header) and a coupling capacitor (C1),
ollowed by a dierential amplier (T1, T2)
with a constant current source (T3) in the
emitter branch. The preset between T1 and
T2 (P2) is used to set the symmetry, or in
other words, the output voltage is set to
0 volt DC compared to ground. For the
best sound quality we should have the
same collector current fowing through
both transistors. This can be seen rom
voltages at test points F and G in the
circuit diagram, which are nearly equal.
The input oset across R1 is caused
by the base current fowing into T1.
This causes the voltage at point A
(V(A)) to be slightly negative. A quick
measurement o the prototype showed
that the base current into T1 was about
3 A. Without the oset compensation
provided by trimpot P2 the output
oset voltage VO would exceed 0 .2 V:
VO = (1 + R6/R5) V(A)
VO = (1 + 10/1.5) 0.028 = 0.215 V
The oset can thereore be removed
by setting the dierential amplier
to operate slightly asymmetrically.
Although this isnt the best method as
ar as the sound quality is concerned,
it does keep the circuit much simpler.
Constant current settingsThe current source in the emitter
branch (T3) is set to about 3 mA
with diodes D1, D2 and resistor
R4, which results in T4 being
driven as linearly as possible.
The audio signal then makes its way
to the driver stage, T4, which drives
the more powerul output transistors
(T6 and T7). C4 has been added
to provide a greater internal gain.
The quiescent current in the output
stage is set to about 5 mA with T5
and R9. Assuming a gain (hFE) o 50
in the output transistors, this 5 mA
could theoretically provide a linear
0.005 A5032 = 8 Vpeak into
32. However, some limitations are
introduced by constant current source
T5 and the voltage drop across the
base-emitter junction o T7 (about1.5 V). We should al so take acc ount
o the voltage divider around R11 and
R12 (R10 and R12) in the calculations.
The maximum voltage Vmax across
the load (RL) then becomes
Vmax = RL / (RL + R11
+ R12) (9 1.5)
Vmax = 4.6 Vpeak
This corresponds to about 3.26 Vrms,
which is what we measured, as you
can see in the specications. This
means that the circuit can deliver
(3.262/32) = 330 mW into 32 ,
which should be enough to keep
most pop and rock ans happy.
Resistor R12, which ollows the
output stage, limits the output current
and keeps the circuit stable when a
capacitive load is connected, such as a
long shielded cable to the headphones.
This prevents the output transistors
rom overheating when there is a
short circuit. R10 and R11 keep things
symmetric. Despite the value o C2
in the eedback circuit, the bandwidth
is still much greater than the audio
bandwidth (see the specications). To
obtain a low corner requency at the
input we used 4.7 F or C1. A capacitor
o 2.2 F (which is easier to obtain)still results in an acceptable corner
requency o 7 Hz (0.6 dB at 20 Hz).
The measurements rom one o our
prototypes are shown in the circuit
diagram. These should be seen as
guideline values rather than as exact
requirements. The PN junctions
and the gain o the transistors
can o course vary depending
on the manuacturer (this also
applies to the current consumption
given in the specications).
ExperimentingFor those o you who dont mind a
little bit more noise (although it will still
be inaudible with most headphones),
you can increase the impedance o
the eedback loop to about 10 k. This
can be achieved by increasing R5 and
R6 in the parallel circuit to 10 k. In
this case the base currents o T1 and
T2 will compensate each other. I you
like experimenting you can replace
R5 with a resistor o 12 k and R6
with a resistor o 68 k (perectionists
should use 11.5 k and 76.8 k rom
the E96 series). It is unlikely that thisoers an audible improvement, but
there may be a smaller oset this way.
ConstructionA small printed circuit board has
been designed or this circuit (see
Figure 2), which can be ordered via
[1]. From here you can also download
the board layout in PDF ormat. The
component layout is shown in Figure 3.
As usual, construction is easiest
Input impedance (without P1) 10 k
Bandwidth 3.4 Hz 2.4 MHz
THD + Noise (1 kHz, 1 mW/33) 0.005 % (B = 22 kHz)
THD + Noise (20 Hz - 20 kHz, 1 mW/33 ) 0.01 % (B = 80 kHz)
Signal to noise ratio (ref. 1 mW/33 ) 89 dB (B = 22 kHz)92 dBA
Max. voltage (into 33) 3.3 V (THD+N = 0.1 %)
Max. input voltage 0.57 V (with P1 set to maximum volume)
Current consumption 19 mA
Specicationsoutput load: 33, supply voltage: 9 V)
Continued page 28 >
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
16/25
ESIGNPS
Go towww.chipkitchallenge.comto get involved.
Share, Rate and Review your
favourite DesignSpark chipKIT
Challenge entry.
Keep up-to-date with the latest competition entries and help
your preferred project win a share of $10,000.
In association with:
YOU BETHE JUDGE.
TheMicrochipnameand logoand theMicrochiplogoare registeredtrademarksandchipKITisa trademarkofMicrochipTechnologyIncorporatedintheU.S.A.and othercountries.TheDigilentname andlogo andMax32areregisteredtrademarksof DigilentIncorporated.Allother trademarksmentionedtheirrespectivetrademarkholders.Thesetrademarkholdersarenot affiliatedwithMicrochipTechnologyIncorporatedor DigilentIncorporated,anddo notsupport,sponsor orendorsechipKIT productsor solutions. 2011,MicrochipTechnologyIncorporated.AllRights Reserved.
eTech ISSUE 9
i you start soldering the lowest
components (resistors, diodes) and
then continue mounting increasingly
higher components (capacitors,
transistors, connection pins).
You will need two boards or a stereo
version, in which case P1 has to be
replaced with a stereo potentiometer,
so that the volume can be controlled
on both channels simultaneously. I
your audio source already includes
a volume control, you can leave
out P1 (put a jumper on the header
or solder a wire link on the board
rom pin 1 and pin 2 o the header
instead o the actual header).
The input impedance o our
suggested circuit (which includes
P1) has a minimum o 5 k (P1 set
to maximum volume). This shouldnt
be a problem or most modern
audio sources. Take note o the pin
spacing o decoupling capacitor
C1; the board accommodates5 mm and 7.5 mm versions.
For the power supply you could use
two 9V batteries. Alternatively, a
2x6 V, 5 VA transormer with a 1.5 A
bridge rectier and 8200 F/16 V
per supply rail is another option. This
could optionally be supplemented
with a pair o voltage regulators.
The output transistors (T6 en T7)
probably dont need heatsinks
in practice, although a small
heatsink will make sure that
they will be short circuit proo.
We decided to build this circuit into
an Elektor ProjectCase [2]. This is
very easy to do and it gives it a
distinctive look and a good view o
the electronics (see Figure 4).(100701)
Internet Links[1] www.elektor.com/100701[2] www.elektor.com/100500
Component Listesistors RS Stock No.1,R6 = 10k 707-8300
2,R3 = 1k 707-8221
4 = 270 707-8189
5 = 1.5k 707-8246
7 = 4.7k 707-8280
8,R9 = 150 707-8167
10,R11,R12 = 10 707-8063
1 = 10k See Connector P1
2 = 100 trimpot 652-4502
Capacitors RS Stock No.1 = 4.7F, lead pitch 5mm or 7.5mm 483-3955
2 = 6.8pF, lead pitch 5mm 495-622
3 = 10pF, lead pitch 5mm 538-1360
4,C5,C6 = 100F 16V radial 707-5809
emiconductors RS Stock No.1,D2,D3,D4 = 1N4148 544-3480
1,T2,T3,T5 = BC550C 545-2254
4 = BC560C 545-2484
6 = BD139 314-1823
7 = BD140 314-1817
Miscellaneous RS Stock No.onnection or P1 = 3-way socket strip, lead pitch 0.1 251-8092
1 = 2-pin pinheader, lead pitch 0.1 251-8503
pcs 1.3mm diam. solder pin 631-9574
CB # 100701, see [1].
CB, order code 090190-1 www.elektor.com/090190
Figure 3. The component layout or thenorills headphone amplier.
Figure 4. The circuit has a distinctive appearance
when its built into a ProjectCase.
< Continued from page 27
Share your views...www.designspark.com/etech
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
17/25
Share your views...www.designspark.com/etech
FIND IT:www.rscomponents.com/molex
eve Keep, European Distribution Marketing ManagerMolex, on how connector leaders need to stay one
ep ahead and evolve their commodity products
Continuous Evolution oCommodity Connectors
e number o companies making commodity connector products,
h as headers and sockets, has signicantly increased in recent
rs creating pressure on prices. Molexs strategy to compete in this
rketplace is to deliver new innovations, evolving its commodity
ducts by adding new eatures that make them easier to use,
wing them to be designed in by new customers and in new
lications. Delivering higher temperature ratings or changing plating
ions or enhanced reliability and increased mating cycles, enables
to dierentiate our oering and compete not just on price alone.
crimp terminals, or example, weve added eatures such as Anti
h Hooking, so the terminals do not become tangled up when
plied in a large bag. Its small but important eatures such as these
t allow us to dierentiate ourselves. Clearly, the competition will
stand still either and will no doubt look to imitate. And, o course,
he commodity umbrella becomes wider, it should now also be
d to include USB, HDMI and FFC/FPC type connections. These
hnologies have been around or many years, but Molex continues to
e improvements to help it stay one step ahead o the competition.
other actor that can keep Molex as a market leader is itsbal manuacturing ootprint. In times o fuctuating market
ditions, allocation comes into play, which has aected
me o Molexs competition. However Molex has the ability
everage its global manuacturing machine so it can provide a
tinuous and reliable supply and maintain stable pricing to the
rket, avoiding potential large price hikes in commodities.
e metals markets will also play a signicant role, as commodity
nectors are greatly exposed to the fuctuations o metals pricing.
tals such as copper and gold make up a big proportion o the cost
he connectors, so they have a big impact on product price. Molex
ncreasingly working with metals that are less price-sensitive,
h as palladium, which is being used as an alternative to gold.
Molex is developing palladium contacts to be used in its PicoFlex
range and some modular jacks and plugs. Palladium is not subject
to such strong fuctuations in price, and also has as good i not
better electrical properties or conductivity and also or durability.
Fundamentally, its about continually evolving and improving on our
products available today to both retain and grow market share.
o paraphrase a amous political slogan rome 1990s its price, stupid. Its inevitable in our
dustry that operating margins will be increasinglyhallenged due to price pressure, especially in theea o commodity products. Additionally, the umbrellaat encompasses what are called commodities iscreasing in size to cover a wider product area.
the umbrella thatencompasses what arecalled commodities isincreasing in size to covera wider product area.
eTech ISSUE 9
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
18/25
ELECTROEX
LECTRONICSXTRAS
eTech ISSUE 9 eTech I
48 DRAWERSTORAGE CABINETSimple cabinet which is ideal orstoring small component parts.
nCabinets can be joined together to
provide additional storage and can be
ree standing or wall mounted. Dividers
are available to segment drawers
which have a saety rim to prevent
them alling out when ully opened.
RS Web search term: 556020
DATALOGGERMeasures humidity, temperatureand dewpoint to a high accuracy.
nWith a simple USB interace or set-up
and data download. Ideal or monitoring
the perormance o environmental
test chambers and other long-term
temperature related testing.
RS Web search term: 6668166
LOW LINTING GLOVESFor electronics assemblyand inspection.
nTight tting or maximum dexterity
and tactility, with open back or
comort and breathability.
RS Web search term: polyfex white
SAFETY GLASSESLightweight spectaclesrom Boll Saety.
n Close tting design, with a sot touch
rame material and excellent eld o view.
RS Web search term: 6899617
DIGITAL CALIPERStainless hardened caliperwith 1mm digital display.
nMeasures 0 to 150mm / 6 inch with 0.01mm / 0.005
resolution. Accuracy is +- 0.02mm / 0 .001.
RS Web search term: 7255689
5-PIECE ESD SCREWDRIVER SETFor use on electrostaticallysensitive components.
n Set contains: 3x100mm slotted, 4x100mm slotted,
PH0x60mm PHILLIPS,PH1x80mm PHILLIPS
and
PH2x100mm PHILLIPS
screwdrivers.
RS Web search term: 4697096
BRASS FIXING KITRange o brass slotted panhead screws, washers and nutssupplied in a handy storage case.
n Contains over 2,000 items in
sizes ranging rom M2 to M6.
RS Web search term: 100282
ANELPILOT SMARTRAPHICS DISPLAYg n Play Programmablenel Meter storage case.
sotware programmable - via USB - 3.5 TFT ullour display that allows the designer to choose rom
eady-to-use meter styles in either landscape or
rait aspect, or design their own. Featuring a dual
0Vdc measurement input, IC interace, touch
een capability and ull input scaling unctionality the
elpilot range is the cost-eective way o adding
tomised metering to your design.
Web search term: 7048131
GILENT 34401Adigit bench multimeter.
rovides a combination o resolution,
uracy and speed or ast, accurate
ch and system testing.
Web search term: 501354
See more online Over 5,000 new products are added at www.rscomponents.com/electronics every month
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
19/25
Continue
eTech IeTech ISSUE 9
The Arduino advantageThe answer to the question, why Arduino? is simple: cost,
community, generativity [1] and ecosystem. The Arduino
technology is low cost and boasts a large, enthusiastic
and inventive community. While the platorm and
its approach to licensing can be considered to be
generative, it has given birth to an ever growing
ecosystem o derivative and compatible hardware
and sotware. There are no licensing, partnershipor non-disclosure agreements to be signed, or ees
to be paid, and a strong culture o sharing exists.
In selecting Arduino, Google was able to make
use o legally unencumbered technology with a
low barrier to entry and an expansive ecosystem
o complementary hardware and sotware.
Accelerated adoptionThe ADK hardware that Google launched was available
at a cost o around 240 and was, by Arduino standards,
expensive. However, given that Google
provided all the design materials or the
hardware and published these under
a liberal licence, it didnt take long or a
compatible clone to appear. In act it took
around a month, dispensed with the custom
Arduino shield, and came in at a cost o
close to 50. In the months that ollowed
and in what could be considered completion
o the Open Source Hardware (OSHW)
cycle, the originators o the Arduino platorm
in-turn released their own ADK product.
It would be reasonable to assume that this
is precisely what Google had hoped or,
as the cloned and derivative boards are
also compatible with the ADK rmwareand thus Android. Would there be such
a rapid prolieration o ADK compatible
products were the technology licensed
under more restrictive terms? Unlikely.
Its all about inormationLets be clear: Google is not a hardware
company. It may run its services on
custom data centre technology and
Google branded consumer devices exist,
but the volume o hardware that the
company ships is relatively small and will only acco
tiny raction o its overall revenue. Googles stated
to, organise the worlds inormation and make it u
accessible and useul . In order to achieve this, Go
to do everything it can to drive the use o its servic
data through itsel. Thus the Android platorm is no
generating revenue rom device sales, it exists sim
extend the reach o Googles online services busin
ADK urther strengthens the Android proposition athe way or the uture Android @ Home ramewor
will add home automation capabilities to the plato
Devices and device platorms are a means to an e
generating value by underpinning a strategy to col
inormation, organise it and make it available.
A multiaceted opportunityGoogles motivations or employing Arduino in the
creation o the ADK are clear. However, its import
recognise that the OSHW opportunity is not limite
development kits or as an adjunct to online service
A key lesson rom Free/Open Source Sotware (F/
has been that business opportunities are multi-ac
and may not be obvious. For example, open sourc
used to create a market or services, drive implem
led standards or empower customers with the ab
innovate. Perhaps uniquely, it can be used to great
the cost associated with establishing a new techn
platorm, securing market share and disrupting inc
With the advent o open business models its no
longer as simple as making something, selling it a
a prot and protecting the associated intellectual
property. This traditional model still works, clearly,
but a greater number o options now exist and som
o these may be used to gain an advantage overcompetitors that have taken a simpler approach.
Open or the consumerGoogle was not the rst to recognise the opportu
or the application o OSHW technology in the
consumer space. Initiated in 2009, Homesense w
a research project that looked at how we might
design smart home s rom the bottom up.
An enabler or Android accessory developmentThe Google Accessory Development Kit (ADK) was designed
to support the prototyping o USB attached accessories or
Android devices. It serves as both a development platorm
or low power microcontroller-based accessories, and as
a reerence implementation
o the protocol used in
communications between an
Android device and accessory.
The ADK comprises two major
parts: hardware that connects
to the Android device via USB,
and supporting sotware. The
hardware consists o an Arduino
Mega 2560 that has been
extended to integrate a USB
host controller, and a custom
Arduino shield. USB host
capability is required as the vast majority o Android devices
do not support it. The Arduino shield plugs into the ADK
mainboard and provides various basic inputs and outputs,
including a joystick, LEDs and temperature and light sensors.
Communication between the device and ADK board is
acilitated by the Android Accessory Protocol. A library
or this, along with a USB host driver, are provided or
the ADK and simply drop into the Arduino development
environment. Support in Android itsel appeared in
version 3.1 o the platorm and has also been back-
ported to version 2.3.4. Sotware development is then
split across the Android application via its Sotware
Development Kit (SDK) built using, or example, the
Eclipse Integrated Development Environment (IDE)
and the Arduino IDE or the ADK board rmware.
organise the worldsinormation and makeit universally accessibleand useul
Googles stated mission
Ayear ago the question, Why would Googlebe interested in a microcontroller platorm?would have been met with blank expressions.Yet in the keynote speech at the Google I/Oconerence in May 2011, the company unveiledthe Arduinobased Accessory DevelopmentKit or Android. Why is Google supportingmicrocontroller development and why chooseArduino? In this article we take a closer look atthe ADK and consider the wider opportunity orOpen Source Hardware.
By Andrew Back, Coounder, SolderPad
The Google ADK:Making MoneyBecause o Something
OpenSo
urce
8/2/2019 Ele 0034 Etech9 Em
20/25
rking with selected households across Europe,
project provided them with a kit o Arduino-
mpatibleelectronic building blocks, a manual
access to a local technical expert.
008 Bug Labs launched The Bug System, described
a modular, open source system or building devices.the heart o the system is the Bugbase a small
Mpoweredcomputer that runs Linux, can be extended
a range o hardware modules, and supports the Java
en Services Gateway initiative (OSGi) ramework
Eclipse IDE or sot
Top Related