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Contents es Devic obile ring of M s tu c in Bra anufa nd • The ics M th SMT a ctron • Ele ment (Bo gories) te ip a u C q E are MT ardw Non-S ing H gedis g u R •
September 2017 Vol. 06 | no. 05 Issn-2454-4426
Editor
: ramesh Chopra
: Editorial Secretary Editorial CorrESpondEnCE phone: 011-26810601; E-mail: [emailprotected] (technical queries: [emailprotected]) SubSCriptionS & : phone: 011-26810601 or 02 or 03 E-mail: [emailprotected] miSSing iSSuES baCk iSSuES, bookS, Cds, pCbs etc.
: kits‘n’Spares, new delhi phone: 011-26371661, 26371662 E-mail: [emailprotected]
nEwSStand diStribution
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50
91 PIR sensors to reduce electricity wastage
20 INNOVATION: Smartypans, VM1010 ZeroPower Listening microphone, Aria, Smart home adaptor, Skoog, Obsidian 24 MATERIALS: Towards soft electronics for shape-shifting circuits
bEngaluru
: ph: 080-25260394, 25260023 E-mail: [emailprotected]
punE
: ph: 08800295610, 09870682995 E-mail: [emailprotected]
42 TECH FOCUS: The evolution of industrial revolution - IIoT
gujarat:
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68 DESIGN: Embracing the new input
japan
: tandem inc., ph: 81-3-3541-4166 E-mail: [emailprotected]
SingaporE
72 DESIGN: Cost vs power in lighting and some suitable solutions 80 INNOVATION: LeChal: Hi-tech shoes that show the route
EVErYtHING YoU WaNtEd to KNoW aBoUt…
taiwan
: j.k. media, ph: 886-2-87726780 ext. 10 E-mail: [emailprotected]
30 POWER SUPPLY: Rapid-charging microsupercapacitors for portable devices
unitEd StatES
: E & tech media ph: +1 860 536 6677 E-mail: [emailprotected]
58 TUTORIAL: Demystifying thermopile sensors 62 EMBEDDED: FPGA in data centres: opportunities and challenges (Part 2 of 2)
printed, published and owned by ramesh Chopra. printed at international print-o-pack ltd, C-4 to C-11, hosiery Complex, phase-ii Extension, noida-201305, gautam budh nagar, uttar pradesh, on the first day of each month and published from d-87/1, okhla industrial area, phase-1, new delhi 110020. Copyright 2017. all rights reserved throughout the world. reproduction of any material from this magazine in any manner without the written permission of the publisher is prohibited. although every effort is made to ensure accuracy, no responsibility whatsoever is taken for any loss due to publishing errors. articles that cannot be used are returned to the authors if accompanied by a self-addressed and sufficiently stamped envelope. but no responsibility is taken for any loss or delay in returning the material. EfY will not be responsible for any wrong claims made by an advertiser. disputes, if any, will be settled in a new delhi court only.
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GUIdES 111 eStyle DIY: Setting up a wireless security camera 112 eStyle BUYERS’ GUIDE: The best Wi-Fi router for your office
Do-It-Yourself
36 IMAGING: Heat-blocking features imaged by ultrasound
: publicitas Singapore pte ltd ph: +65-6836 2272 E-mail: [emailprotected]
Period Newstand Price Year (`) two 2400 one 1200
and Green Technologies
88 Smart POS: On-the-go money-maker
rESEarCH & dEVEloPmENt
: ph: 022-24950047, 24928520 E-mail: [emailprotected]
Focusing on Indigenous
Smart World
92 Retrofit LED tubes for energy-efficient lighting
advErtisem*ntS nEw dElhi : ph: 011-26810601 or 02 or 03 E-mail: [emailprotected] (hEad offiCE) mumbai
IndIa’s defence sector
INdUStrY 76 TEST & MEASUREMENT: Making academics entrepreneurial with T&M equipment 96 MARKET SURVEY: Solar sector at the crossroads 99 INTERVIEW: Deep Agarwal, Zebra Technologies: “Barcodes will soon communicate with humans” 100 INTERVIEW: Vaidya Subramaniam, GreyOrange: “Businesses go for AI when stakes are high”
September 2017 | electronicS For You pluS
114 119 120 122 128
Simple 8-bit computer for learning Program Arduino with your Android device Build your own stereo amplifier using TDA2822 High-fidelity FM transmitter Battery charger and discharger using USB power supply 134 Micro-solder pot 136 Computer vision based quality control using Python
NEWS 14 Tech News 93 Industry News 106 New Products 109 eStyle: First Look
EFY Plus dVd EFY+ DVD: IIoT to PCB layout: Open Source has more than what you need! ...................................84 AggreGate SCADA: An Open Source IoT platform ....I Design smartly with Altium 2017.......................... IV IoT with IoTivity ................................................ VII Regulars 10 Feedback: Your suggestions 12 Q&A: Things you wanted to know
www.eFYmag.com
Feedback Your suggestions
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE This is regarding the information on artificial intelligence published under ‘Feedback’ page of August issue. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) often crop up simultaneously in topics like big data and analytics. Both of these are often used interchangeably, yet they differ from each other. ML is basically a subset of AI. On the one hand, AI is the intelligence exhibited by machines by which these mimic cognitive functions that humans use while interacting with other humans. ML, on the other hand, is the ability of machines to learn for themselves from the data provided to them. Sagar Raj Through e-mail EFY. Thanks for the feedback and your views on AI and ML.
BENCH POWER SUPPLY In ‘Bench Power Supply Using a Computer’s Power Supply’ DIY article published in August issue, it is important to add a small load to keep the SMPS turned on always. A 10-ohm, 10W resistor can be connected across 5V rail and ground for the purpose.
The author Jaywardhan Pandit replies: Thanks for your comments. The switch-mode power supply (SMPS) I am using is working fine without a load resistor connected to it. Load resistor is not required in all the SMPS. However, it can be used if the user faces problem. Automobile fuse can be used if it is faster than the normal fuse.
VIBRATION SENSOR I liked the ‘Vibration Sensor’ DIY article published in February issue. How can I extend the project to some other applications?
configure its pins for optimal component values for maximum outputs.
FLASH TRIGGER In the PCB layout of ‘Optical Slave Flash Trigger’ DIY project published in August issue, pin 2 of IC1 (MOC3021) is not connected to the collector of T2 (BC547). So it will not work as described. Tech Crafts Through e-mail EFY. Thanks for pointing out the mistake!
3W AUDIO AMPLIFIER Sneha Reddy Through e-mail EFY. You can use this project for smart home systems, automotive devices, communication devices, electronic scales, instruments/toys, sports equipment, etc. The circuit design, though, depends on the intended application. For example, you can replace the buzzer and its driver section with an audio amplifier and speaker to use it as an anti-theft system for your vehicle.
In ‘3W Audio Amplifier Using TDA7056’ DIY project of July issue, a good-quality power transformer along with a full-bridge rectifier and a 2200µF capacitor will give you clean and stable 12 volts without a 7812 voltage regulator. To prevent overheating of the transformer, it should be rated 5 amps or more, so that TDA7056 consumes 50 per cent or so of the transformer’s full capacity. Tom Show Through e-mail
3W/6W AUDIO AMPLIFIER Shashank T.S Through e-mail The ‘Bench Power Supply Using a Computer’s Power Supply’ is a very nice project. I am using such a power supply for my experiments at home. Since it can give a large current, you need to protect the circuit by using automobile DC fuses (12V, 1-4A, etc). Mahesh Gokhale Through e-mail 10
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In ‘3W/6W Audio Amplifier Using TDA2003’ circuit published in June issue, can we use TDA2030 IC? What are the changes required if we replace TDA2003 with TDA2030? Sayantan Maiti Through e-mail EFY. There are slight differences between the two ICs. Apart from their output wattage differences, gain settings are also different. You need to refer to TDA2030’s datasheet to
EFY. The transformers that we purchased from the local market were not so reliable and exceeded their rated voltages. So to protect TDA7056 from high voltages, 7812 voltage regulator was used in this circuit. Also, use of a 7812 IC is much more cost-effective than a good-quality transformer. Finding a good-quality transformer in the local market is not easy. However, if you manage to get one with proper ratings, you may use a full-bridge rectifier with a zener diode across it. www.eFYmag.com
Q&A
Things You WanTed To KnoW!
Ques. What are MeMS SenSorS? What are the typeS available in the Market? pamarthi kanakaraja
ans. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are a class of devices characterised both by their small size and the manner in which these are made. These are made up of component sizes between 1 and 100 micrometres. MEMS devices can vary from simple structures to extremely complex electromechanical
Fig. 1: General block diagram of a MEMS device
systems with multiple moving elements under the control of integrated microelectronics. Generally, MEMS consist of mechanical microstructures, microactuators, microsensors and microelectronics in one package. Fig. 1 shows the block diagram of MEMS device. Some common types of MEMS sensors available in the market are: MEMS accelerometers. These sensors are used in smartphones for various controls including switching between landscape and portrait modes, anti-blur capture and pocket-mode operation. MEMS gyroscopes. These detect the angular displacement of an object. MEMS gyros are used for vehicle stability control. MEMS pressure sensors. These sensors are used in automotive, industrial, medical, defence and aerospace applications. MEMS magnetic field sensors. These sensors find use in position sensing, current detection, speed detection, 12
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vehicle detection, space exploration, etc. Fluxgate sensors. These find many applications in space research, geophysics, mineral prospecting, automation and industrial process control.
Q2. What typeS of WireleSS coMMunication technology can be uSed in hoMe autoMation? pournima
a2. In wireless communication, signals are transmitted through air without using any cable, wires or other electrical conductors. Wireless communication technologies include infrared (IR), mobile phone, radio frequency (RF), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Li-Fi, ZigBee, Z-Wave, laser, ultrasonic, etc. These find many applications in diverse fields. Home automation is one of them. Typically, a wireless home automation system comprises devices as shown in Fig. 2. Some wireless communication devices used in home automation are: Infrared. Here, information is shared between devices or systems through IR radiation. In the electromagnetic spectrum, IR radiation lies between microwaves and visible light. It is used in many consumer electronics including security system, TV remote control and short-range communications. Mobile phone. It can be used to turn on/off various electrical appliancPIR detector
Door sensor
Curtain sensor
Smoke detector
IR beams
Fig. 2: Typical wireless home automation system
es in homes. So, it works as a remote for home automation system. Most control signals from the mobile phone are sent either using Bluetooth or GSM (Global System for Mobile communication) mode in India. In GSM mode, it is possible to control home appliances from very far off as cellular networks have a wide range of coverage. Wi-Fi. Appliances can be controlled using a personal computer through Wi-Fi. Most Wi-Fi devices use 2.4GHz frequency and implement frequencydivision multiplexing technology. Bluetooth. Bluetooth devices are easily accessible for wireless control as these exist in many electronic products including mobile phones. Bluetooth provides a range of about 10 metres at the speed of 1Mbps. Radio frequency. You can control home appliances using a pair of RF modules (transmitter and receiver). For example, most common RF devices used by hobbyists are 433MHz RF modules. ZigBee is a more powerful and longer-range RF device. ZigBee. It is a low-power, wireless mesh network that operates in the following radio bands: 868MHz, 915MHz, and 2.4GHz. Z-Wave. It is a relatively new wireless home automation protocol. It uses extremely less power and runs on a mesh network. The device communicates in a sub-gigahertz frequency range, around 900MHz. Li-Fi. Light Fidelity or Li-Fi uses the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum for communication. It can be easily used in places where Bluetooth, IR and Wi-Fi are banned, because it uses light instead of radio waves. Answers compiled by Sani Theo, technical editor. Letters and questions for publication may be addressed to Editor, Electronics For You, D-87/1, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase 1, New Delhi 110020 (e-mail: [emailprotected]) and should include name and address of the sender www.eFYmag.com
Tech News Technology UpdaTes
World’s first battery-free cellphone developed University of Washington researchers have developed a cellphone that requires no batteries—a major leap forward in moving beyond chargers, cords and dying phones. Instead,
the phone is powered from either ambient radio signals or light. The team made Skype calls using their battery-free phone, demonstrating that the prototype made of commercial, off-the-shelf components can receive and transmit speech and communicate with a base station. To achieve this feat, researchers eliminated a power-hungry step in most modern cellular transmissions—converting analogue signals that convey sound into digital data that a phone can understand. This process consumes so much energy that it’s been impossible to design a phone that can rely on ambient power sources. The battery-free cellphone takes advantage of tiny vibrations in a phone’s microphone or speaker that occur when a person is talking into a phone or listening to a call. An antenna connected to these components converts their motion into changes in standard analogue radio signal emitted by a cellular base station. To transmit speech, the phone uses vibrations from the device’s microphone to encode speech patterns in the reflected signals. To receive speech, it converts encoded radio signals into sound vibrations, which are picked up by the phone’s The battery-free phone developed at the University of Washington can sense speech, speaker. In the prototype device, the user presses actuate the earphones, and switch between uplink and downlink communications, a button to switch between ‘transmitting’ and all in real time. It is powered by either ambient radio signals or light (Image courtesy: Mark Stone/University of Washington) ‘listening’ modes.
Robot driver that makes any car autonomous A robotic driver is on its way to relieve us from the stress of the daily commute. Once installed in a vehicle, which takes only a few minutes, it would free us to do more important tasks or just sit back and relax. The robot, called IVO for ‘intelligent vehicle operator,’ consists of a combination of vision sensors and mechanical systems to steer and operate the gas and brake pedals. Users input a location using Google Maps and the robot drives there autonomously while detecting and avoiding obstacles. Conceived by a team led by Hugo Guterman, a professor at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, the portable IVO works like a human driver. Users belt it into the driver’s seat. A three-pronged gripper at the end of an 14
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IVO driver robot (Image courtesy: Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) www.eFYmag.com
Tech News adjustable arm grabs the steering wheel. Two extendable actuators attach to the brake and gas pedals, moving up and down to control them. IVO monitors road conditions using a camera that removes the effect of background light so it is not blinded by the sun. The robot’s cameras also look around to explore the environment. An additional camera faces the dashboard, so IVO can assess indicator lights and gauges for overheating, low gas and other problems. IVO’s simple design and straightforward functionality will make it easily affordable once production increases, according to Guterman. While it does not provide all the functionality of a vehicle built for autonomous driving, consumers can retrofit the $1600 unit into existing cars. Guterman believes IVO might one day chauffeur people with disabilities, replace human drivers for safer and more efficient rescues under difficult conditions, and perhaps even replace truckers on long-haul routes.
AI device wirelessly monitors sleep patterns at home More than 50 million Americans suffer from sleep disorders. Diseases including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s can also disrupt sleep. Diagnosing and monitoring these conditions usually requires attaching electrodes and a variety of other sensors to patients, which can further disrupt their sleep.
Phones built for virtual reality Google will launch at least eleven smartphones compatible with its own virtual reality (VR) platform called Daydream by the year-end. These Daydream-ready phones will be built for VR with high-resolution displays, ultra-smooth graphics and high-fidelity sensors.
Daydream View headset from Google
Google’s Daydream is more like Samsung’s Gear VR system rather than other VR platforms like the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. This is because it does not require users to be tethered to a computer, but rather uses the user’s smartphone to deliver the VR experience, together with the Daydream View headset. To experience VR content, users simply need to insert their smartphone into the Daydream View—a headset that is easy-to-wear, with a controller that is simple to use. The headset is made with soft, breathable fabric to help users stay comfortable. It is lightweight and fits comfortably over most eyeglasses. Plus, the facepad is removable to wash. 16
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The MIT device picks up RF signals reflected off sleeping subjects, which are then analysed to decipher sleep patterns (Image courtesy: Shichao Yue/MIT)
MIT researchers have devised a new way to monitor sleep stages without sensors attached to the body. A laptopsized device bounces radio waves off the patient, and an artificial intelligence algorithm analyses the signals to accurately decode one’s sleep patterns. The device transmits RF waves at one-thousandth the power of Wi-Fi signals and picks up signals reflected from walls, furniture and sleeping subjects, whose tiniest movements change the frequency of the reflected signal. The deep neural network algorithm extracts the relevant sleep-related signals from the jumble of reflected signals and translates the data into meaningful sleep stages. The system combines information on breathing, pulse and movements to decipher sleep stages—light, deep and rapid eye movement—with 80 per cent accuracy.
Computer software of the future In a new Caltech study, researchers have demonstrated that quantum computing could be useful for speeding up the solutions to ‘semidefinite programs’—a widely used class of optimisation problems. These programs include so-called linear programs, which are used, for example, when a company wants to minimise the risk of its investment portfolio or when an airline wants to efficiently assign crews to its flights. The study presents a new quantum algorithm that could speed up solutions to semidefinite problems, sometimes www.eFYmag.com
Tech News exponentially. Quantum algorithms are sets of instructions that tell quantum computers what to do to solve problems. The algorithm would, in particular, greatly speed up semidefinite programs that are used to learn unknown quantum states. Fernando Brandão, a professor in theoretical physics, said that this type of quantum learning problem is faced by researchers who study large quantum systems in a variety of different systems such as superconducting qubits, which are quantum information units similar to computer bits that would operate based on superconducting technology. The semidefinite programs are used to give a description of how the quantum matter is behaving, which, in turn, allows researchers to better understand the bizarre states of the subatomic world.
dim, and become less opaque over time. “We did not tweak what was out there, we came up with a completely different solution,” said senior author Michael McGehee, a Stanford University professor of materials science and engineering with a background in solar cells. McGehee and his group’s prototype blocks light through the movement of copper and another metal in a solution over a sheet of transparent indium tin oxide modified by platinum nanoparticles. When transparent, the windows are clear and allow about 80 per cent of surrounding natural light through, and when dark, transmission drops to under 5 per cent. The researchers switched the windows on and off at least 5500 times and saw no change in the transmission of light, indicating that the design is durable.
Smart windows that turn dark within a minute
Sunglasses generate solar power
Stanford University engineers have developed dynamic windows that can switch from transparent to opaque or back in under a minute and do not degrade over time. The prototypes are plates of conductive glass outlined with metal ions that spread out over the surface, blocking light, in response to electrical current. Dynamic windows have the potential to cut heating and cooling costs or the need for blinds, but the technology is yet to catch on in the marketplace. Smart windows already being sold, such as those used on airlines, are made of materials such as tungsten oxide that change colour when charged with electricity. But these materials tend to be expensive, have a blue tint, can take over 20 minutes to
This photograph shows a smart window prototype dimming in response to electricity. This window is notable for possessing neutral colour, high contrast and excellent durability (Image courtesy: Yue et al./Joule 2017)
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Researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have developed sunglasses with coloured, semitransparent
These solar glasses with lens-fitted semitransparent organic solar cells supply two sensors and electronics in the temples with electric power (Image courtesy: KIT)
solar cells applied onto lenses that supply a microprocessor and two displays with electric power. This paves the way for future applications such as the integration of organic solar cells into windows or overhead glazing. The ‘smart’ solar glasses, designed by Dr Alexander Colsmann and his team at KIT, are self-powered to measure and display the solar illumination intensity and ambient temperature. Solar cell lenses, perfectly fitted to a commercial frame, have a thickness of approx. 1.6 millimetres (mm) and weigh about six grams—just like the lenses of traditional sunglasses. The microprocessor and the two small displays are integrated into the temples of solar glasses. These show the illumination intensity and the ambient temperature as bar graphs. Solar glasses also work in indoor environments under illumination down to 500 Lux, which is the usual illumination of an office or a living area. Under these conditions, each of the smart lenses still generates 200 microwatts of electric power—enough to operate devices such as a hearing aid or a step counter. www.eFYmag.com
innovation in every sphere of life
Janani Gopalakrishnan Vikram A smart pan with built-in sensors and an app that helps you cook perfectly all the time (Courtesy: Smartypans)
Smart pan that lets you cook perfectly Computer engineer Rahul Baxi and his nutritionist sister Prachi put their heads together to develop Smartypans —a smart pan that makes anybody a wonderful cook! The pan is smart in many ways. First, even an amateur can whip up amazing dishes with this pan and its associated app. You can pick recipes by master chefs or from the community and start cooking. The app will give you instructions on what to add, what to do next and when to turn the pan off! The built-in weight and temperature sensors make sure you do not add too much oil, char the dish or commit other such silly mistakes that could spoil the dish. While the weight sensors keep measuring and showing you each of the ingredients you add to the pan, the temperature sensor keeps track of the cooking temperature and modifies each recipe based on your stove’s temperature. You can also share your recipes with your friends instantly. As you cook, just tell the app what ingredients you are adding. The app records the weight of each ingredient, the temperature and the cooking time. Click a pic at the end and voila, your recipe is ready to share. The pan has a unique lighting system for notifications. It works on a 2500mAH rechargeable Li-Po battery that lasts over four months on a single charge. With a nice, double-layered heavy bottom, the pan is also durable. The colourful, detachable cooking inserts come in ceramic non-stick and stainless steel. The Smartypans app also syncs with fitness trackers like Fitbit. As and when you cook, the app computes the nutritional value of the dish and shares it with your fitness trackers at the click of a button. So, now you just cannot go wrong with this pan! Company: Smartypans; Country: USA; Website: https://smartypans.io 20
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MEMS microphone to voice-activate battery-powered devices Imagine activating your television remote and switching on the TV with just a voice command instead of walking over to it? However, speech capabilities consume a lot of power, often 1000µW or more, which makes them impractical for battery-powered devices like television remotes. Now, Vesper’s VM1010 ZeroPower Listening (ZPL) microphone can help you voice-activate such devices too. The VM1010 is a piezoelectric micro-electro-mechanical-system (MEMS) microphone with a tiny footprint of 3.76x2.65x0.96mm3. When the environment is silent, the device stays in the listening or wake-on-sound mode, which consumes just 6µA, while in normal mode it uses around 90µA. The microphone simply uses sound energy and the power that is automatically dissipated by batteries, thus practically consuming no power for the device it is used in. Using special materials, the microphone converts sound energy directly into electrical energy to wake up devices from sleep. According to the company, the device uses piezoelectric effect to make the acoustic transducer operate as an acoustic switch. When a sound wave hits a piezoelectric cantilever, it moves the cantilever. This motion creates a voltage via the piezoelectric effect. This voltage is sensed by a very low-power comparator circuit, which sends a wake signal to the rest of the system. All sounds create a voltage on the This MEMS microphone uses sound cantilever but the circuit responds only to the energy to wake up battery-powered devices (Courtesy: Vesper) human vocal range (sounds between 300Hz and 6kHz). Users can program such aspects as loudness threshold, desired distance and level of background noise. Company: Vesper; Country: USA; Website: http://vespermems.com/products/vm1010
Keep fit with this Wi-Fi smart weighing scale account using your home Fitness trackers help you Wi-Fi network. On your Fitstay fit but their effecbit app, you can see weight tiveness also depends statistics and progress trends on whether you are able in the form of easy-to-read to provide accurate and charts and graphs. This is regular updates on your very important because food intake, weight and long-term weight trends are other parameters. The better indicators of health more the inputs are auThis Wi-Fi smart scale syncs and fitness than short-term tomated, the better the with your Fitbit app to give fluctuations. performance of fitness you the real picture and help With the ability to record trackers. Fitbit’s Aria you attain your fitness goals (Courtesy: Fitbit) workouts and log food habits falls in line with this and weight too, the Fitbit app concept. becomes a one-stop solution for your Aria is a sleek weighing scale with fitness needs. You can make the weigha polished glass surface that tracks ing scale, the tracker and the app work your weight, body mass index (BMI), in sync by setting goals and using calorie lean mass and body fat percentage. It recognises up to eight users and keeps coaching to achieve them. You can buy Aria at the Fitbit store each one’s recordings confidential. on Amazon.in. As soon as you step on the scale, Company: Fitbit; Country: USA; it recognises you, displays your readWebsite: https://www.fitbit.com/in/aria ings and sends it across to your Fitbit www.eFYmag.com
InnovatIon
Remotely control your washer-dryer with this Wi-Fi adaptor The Samsung smart home adaptor (Laundry) enables you to control your smart washer and dryer remotely using a mobile app. You just need to plug the adaptor into your washer-dryer, download the Samsung Smart Home App on your mobile device and follow the simple set-up instructions. The adaptor connects to a wireless network and enables you to control the washer and dryer remotely from anywhere using the app. You can start, pause or stop your washer/dryer and select cycles and other options like temperature, rinse and spin cycles. From wherever you are, you can watch the progress of your wash cycle, and receive notifications when there is an error or when your laundry is done. User reviews highlight some of the thoughtful features of this product. For Samsung’s smart home adaptor makes your instance, the app sends you a notification as laundry smarter (Courtesy: Samsung) soon as the cycle is complete, ensuring that you do not forget to take the clothes out. If you are getting delayed and the dry cycle is over, you can extend the tumble time so that your clothes don’t crumple up before you arrive. If your dryer has a de-wrinkle option, you can start it when you step into the shower to ensure that you have clean, wrinkle-free, ready-to-wear clothes when you need them! This product (priced at just $25) is available on Samsung website and other online stores like Amazon. Company: Samsung; Country: South Korea; Website: http://www.samsung. com/us/home-appliances/home-appliances-accessories/washers-dryers/smarthome-adapter-laundry-hd39j1230gw
3D printer priced below $100 This 3D printer is not to record time lapses bulky. Rather, it is quite and monitor prints sleek, even cute. And remotely, a heated bed it comes from Kodama, to print with materithe company that als like acrylonitrile surprised the world in butadiene styrene 2015 with its afford(ABS) and polyethylene able and sturdy 3D terephthalate-glycol printer Trinus. Obsidmodified (PET-G), an ian, an even better bet, Android display to is a readily-assembled, control your print setObsidian is a plug-and-play $99 3D plug-and-play fused tings with an exclusive printer from Kodama Inc., which deposition modelling user interface, and an runs on non-proprietary firmware (FDM) 3D printer made (Courtesy: Kodama Inc.) 8.12cm (3.20-inch) of aluminium parts, thin-film transistor costing $99 upwards. The best part (TFT) touchscreen. The idea is to give about Obsidian is that it runs on nonyou a good-quality but basic product proprietary firmware, which expands at a low price-point, with the option the scope of what you can do with it! to add features. Obsidian connects to your laptop Incidentally, did you know that through USB, has build volume of Japanese researcher Hideo Kodama 120x120x120mm3, layer thickness of developed the world’s first prototype 50-350µm and heat range of 180of a 3D printer way back in 1981? That 250°C, which makes it a reasonably explains the name of this company! good printer. At extra cost, you can Company: Kodama Inc.; Country: include add-on features like Wi-Fi USA; Website: https://obsidian. connectivity, a 2-megapixel webcam kodama3d.com 22
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Just press and fiddle around with the cube to create music (Courtesy: Skoogmusic)
Anyone can play music with this soft cube A soft tactile foam cube with assistive music technology, Skoog, is a wonderful accessory for the iPad that helps turn anybody into a musician. The company compares it to a games controller—for what they call ‘musicplay’! The tactile cube is like a wireless controller for the music app running on your iPad. Touching it in different ways produces different sounds. The app is beneficial for young kids who have a flair for music but are not old enough to understand the theories behind it. It has also been found to be especially helpful for kids with disabilities, as it helps them to express themselves through music. It is a wonderful addition to a kindergarten classroom! The toy-like device is shaped like a cube with colourful hemispherical bulges on the sides and top. The soft, foam-like material ensures that kids can easily press, poke, twist and squeeze the cube as well as the bulges. The device can be connected to your iOS device through USB or wirelessly. You also need to install the free Skoogmusic iOS app or Skoogmusic software for Mac/PC, to start using the device. Once done, just fiddle around with the soft, foamy cube to yield different notes on the app! You can select the instrument, set up sensitivity and thresholds on the app. There are also other apps that work with Skoog and can be used to expand the spectrum of sounds and tunes produced. The Skoogmusic app also works with iTunes and other music streaming services, so you can play your favourite songs and jam along with Skoog! Skoog can be bought online from Apple across the globe, or from select Apple stores in Europe. Company: Skoogmusic; Country: Scotland; Website: http://skoogmusic. com www.eFYmag.com
materials
Towards Soft ElEctronicS For Shape-Shifting Circuits
S Dr S.S. Verma is a professor at Department of Physics, Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering and Technology, Sangrur, Punjab
cience fiction is inching closer to reality with the development of revolutionary self-propelling liquid metals—a critical step towards future elastic electronics. At present, electronic devices like smart phones and computers are mainly based on circuits that use solidstate components, with fixed metallic tracks and semiconducting devices. This leads to rigid structures. Besides, none of the current technologies is able to create hom*ogeneous surfaces of atomically thin semiconductors on large surface areas that are useful for industrial-scale chip fabrication. Advancements in electronics can be made through flexible and dynamically reconfigurable soft circuit systems. This involves taking electronics beyond the confines of solidstate circuits to soft-state circuits. The goal is to create elastic electronic components. These are a type of soft circuit systems that would function in a way analogous to biological cells. That means electronic circuits that can move independently and also interact with each other to construct new circuits. To achieve this, liquid metals are required. The use of liquid metals in electronics
Static circuit boards may one day give way to dynamic, changeable ones that can pop up on demand (Image courtesy: https:// cosmosmagazine.com)
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has always fascinated the scientists due to their inherent advantages of fluidity and shape-shifting qualities. However, there are issues to be dealt with, like availability of only a few pure liquid metals at room temperature. Among liquid metals, non-toxic alloys of gallium so far seem to be the most promising candidate for realising the dream of truly elastic electronic components.
Gallium alloys: Liquid metals fit for electronics Though all the pure metals listed in the table (next page) are liquid at room temperature, these are not suitable for use in electronics due to reactivity and stability problems associated with them. Liquid metals also consist of alloys with very low melting points, which form an eutectic that is liquid at room temperature. The standard metal of choice used to be mercury, but gallium-based alloys, which are lower both in their vapour pressure at room temperature and toxicity, are being used as a replacement in various applications. Gallium shares similarities with aluminium, indium and thallium. It is commonly used to make alloys with low melting points, which are predominantly used in electronics. For example, gallium arsenide is used in microwave circuits. Some of the common gallium alloys are Ga-InSn, Ga-Al, Ga-In, Ga-Sb, Ga-Sn, GaPb, Ga-Mg, Ga-Bi and Ga-Bi-Sn. www.eFYmag.com
materials Gallium alloys are ideal candidates for flexible electronics as these liquid metals are malleable and conductive. Also, the researchers could manipulate gallium alloys easily without touching them. For liquid metal based flexible printed electronics, the ideal properties of the core manufacturing material, i.e., room-temperature liquid metal—currently mainly represented by gallium and its alloys—are excellent resistivity, enormous bendability, low adhesion and large surface tension. With such properties, any droplet of liquid metal contains a highly-conductive metallic core and an atomically thin, semiconducting oxide skin. These are the key parameters for developing flexible electronic circuits. The suitability of gallium for future electronics was demonstrated recently by researchers in a study in which they (researchers) immersed
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liquid metal droplets in water. Due to ionic interactions, the metal was able to move freely in three dimensions—the key to developing a suitable material in understanding the influence of the surrounding fluid on the metal. The researchers showed how adjustments made to concentrations of acid, base and salt components in the water were influential. Getting this right should open the door to creating moving objects, switches and pumps—each necessary for flexible electronic devices.
Technological developments Scientists are concerned that the fundamental technology of electronics has not progressed much for many decades, and mobile phones and computers today are no more powerful than they were five years ago. They are searching for a technology that will allow them to increase the processing power of
electronic components. Researchers believe that the answer lies in ultra-thin components made by printing with liquid metals. The 2D printing technique can create many layers of incredibly thin electronic chips on the same surface, dramatically increasing the processing power while reducing costs. Using liquid metals to create integrated circuits that are just atoms thick could lead to the next big advance in electronics. The process opens the way for production of large wafers around 1.5 nanometres (nm) in depth; a sheet of paper, by comparison, is 100,000nm thick. Other techniques have proven unreliable in terms of quality, scaling and functioning at very high temperatures (550 degrees or higher). Researchers hope that creating electronic wafers just atoms thick could overcome the limitations of current chip production. It could
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materials comparison of Liquid metaL candidates name
melting point
stability
toxicity
Mercury (Hg)
-38.83°C
The only metallic element that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure
Mercury and most of its compounds are extremely toxic
Cesium (Cs)
28.5°C
Highly explosive when it comes in contact with water
Violently reacts with water
Gallium (Ga)
29.8°C
Elemental gallium is not found in nature, but it can be easily obtained by smelting
Reactive metal
Rubidium (Rb)
39.3°C
Spontaneously ignites to form rubidium oxide
Violently reacts with water
also help produce materials that are extremely bendable, paving the way for flexible electronics. Metals like gallium and indium have a low melting point. These produce an atomically thin layer of oxide on their surface that naturally protects them. It is this thin oxide which is used in fabrication method. By rolling the liquid metal, the oxide layer can be transferred onto an electronic wafer, which is then sulphurised. The surface of the wafer can be pre-treated to form individual transistors. This novel method has been used to create transistors and photo-detectors of very high gain and very high fabrication reliability in large scale. It has long been a dream in the electronics industry to be able to write out electronics directly, as simply as printing a picture onto paper with an office printer. The good news is that the first-ever prototype of a liquid-metal printer has been fabricated. It took optimisation of a series of industrial design and technical issues such as working reliability, printing resolution, automatic control, humanmachine interface design, software, hardware, and integration between software and hardware, to create this high-quality personal desktop liquid-metal printer. This liquid-metal printer is an automatic, easy-to-use and low-cost personal electronics manufacturing tool with many possible applications. As engineers have already manipulated the movements and shape of a drop 28
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of liquid metal by adjusting the acidity of its watery environment, shape-shifting electronic circuits that can self-assemble are inching closer. Further, static circuit boards may one day give way to dynamic, changeable ones that can pop up on demand. Gallium and Indium have different melting points, yet when mixed together, these form an alloy that is liquid at room temperature. Such an alloy is termed as an eutectic alloy. Researchers found that if they applied a small voltage (less than one volt) in water to a blob of the eutectic alloy, they were able to reduce the surface tension significantly, resulting in the molten metal spreading and flattening out. When the voltage was removed, the high surface tension returned, and the blob once more resumed its spherical shape. The amount of surface tension could also be varied depending upon the voltage, making the blob more or less viscous. In other words, the liquid metal could be held in various states of liquidity. This technique—a version of electrohydrodynamics in which electric currents affect the movement of liquid metals—relies on an oxide ‘skin’ forming on the surface of the alloy when a voltage is applied. This skin behaves as a surfactant, lowering the surface tension between the metal and the surrounding fluid. The significance of this behaviour is that the metal could be made to flow in and out of variously shaped capillaries or moulds, allowing the alloy to take different contours. If these shapes were that of an an-
tenna, for example, the metal could behave as a highly-variable or tunable antenna capable of morphing its shape to receive or transmit a wide range of different wavelengths all from the same component. Researchers have experimented with other versions of shape-shifting antennae in the past, but this is the first time that they have utilised electricity—rather than mechanical deformation—to alter the shape. This technique to control the movement of liquid metals can be used to change the shape of antennae and complete or break circuits. It could also be used in microfluidic channels, MEMS, or photonic and optical devices. Many materials form surface oxides, so the work could extend beyond liquid metals.
Hurdles to overcome Researchers have taken the first steps towards making the science fiction a reality by developing a way to control the surface tension of liquid metals with the application of very low voltages. This may offer opportunities in a new field of morphing electronic circuits, self-healing electronics or even self-assembling terminator-style robots. However, challenges remain before the potential of liquid-metal flexible printed electronics is leveraged for end-user electronic gadgets and more extensive applications in the future. These include significantly different adhesions of liquid metal inks on various substrates under different oxidation degrees, weakness of circuits, difficulty in fabricating high-accuracy devices, and low rate of good-quality production. www.eFYmag.com
Power SuPPly
Rapid-Charging Micro-SupercapacitorS For Portable Devices
B Mukhtar Ahmad has retired as a professor of electrical engineering from Aligarh Muslim University
Fig. 1: Charging time of different batteries used in mobile phones
Supercapacitors or ultracapacitors
4.2300
Moto E (2015) Moto G (2014) Huawei Ascend Mate 7 Nokia Lumia 630 Nokia Lumia 930 LG G3 HTC One (M8) HTC One (M9) Motorola Moto X (2014) Apple iPhone 6 HTC One mini 2 Huawei Honor 6 OnePlus One Google Nexus 6 Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Meizu MX4Pro
3.7956 3.0600 2.8330 2.8100 2.8010 2.6680 2.5000 2.3278 2.2781 2.2620 2.1194 1.9400 1.8900 1.7600 1.5200 0
30
integration of batteries as energy storage elements. The size of energy storage elements often limits the miniaturisation of the entire system. This is because the necessary energy-storage components cannot be scaled down to the size of electronic gadgets. So designing efficient miniaturised energy storage devices for energy delivery or harvesting with high-power capabilities remains a challenge.
atteries are the dominant technology for powering portable devices. But the problem with batteries is their size and requirement of frequent charging, time required for charging, and repair and replacement. Fig. 1 shows the charging time for the batteries used in some mobile phones. These batteries discharge within hours of use as shown in Fig. 2. Capacitors are also energy storage elements that, unlike batteries, generate an electrical field between two parallel conductor plates. The energy stored in a capacitor depends on the value of its capacitance and the voltage applied across its plates. For the same voltage the capacitor will store more energy for a large value of capacitance. Since the capacitance of a capacitor is directly proportional to surface area of its electrodes and inversely proportional to the distance between electrodes, it requires a large area to store charge. The current trend in portable devices is continuous miniaturisation, while ensuring the functionality and reliability of existing components. The main problem faced in miniaturisation is the
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An improvement in energy storage devices has been the development of electric double-layer capacitor (EDLC), best known as ‘supercapacitor’ or ‘ultracapacitor.’ A supercapacitor has large-surface-area conductive plates (electrodes), placed very close to each other. Supercapacitors provide many advantages over batteries. For instance, these have a long cycle lifetime—they can be cycled hundreds of thousands times without much change in performance. The lifespan of a supercapacitor is 10 to 20 years, with a possible capacity reduction from the original 100 per cent to 80 per cent after ten years of usage or so. Supercapacitors have a low equivalent series resistance. These can therefore provide a high power density and high load currents to achieve almost instant charge in seconds. The new hybrid supercapacitors store large amounts of energy, recharge quickly and last more than 10,000 recharge cycles. This is a great advantage for smartphones, which will charge in just 30 seconds and then continue working through the rest of the day on a single charge. The basic principle of energy storage in supercapacitors is the same as that of ordinary capacitors. However, www.eFYmag.com
Power SuPPly unlike conventional capacitors that use a solid and dry dielectric material, such as teflon, polyethylene and paper, ultracapacitors use a liquid or wet electrolyte between their electrodes. A supercapacitor or electric double-layer capacitor, as shown in Fig. 3, utilises large-surface area electrodes and thin electrolytic dielectrics to achieve capacitance values greater than any other capacitor type available today. Energy storage in capacitors is by means of static charge and does not involve the electro-chemical process inherent to batteries. These store charge as a coating of ions adsorbed on the electrodes’ surface. Ions are separated from the electrolyte by a charging current, and propelled toward their respective electrodes. The membrane serves to separate the ions, so that a net charge separation can be maintained. This dual surface layer is called electric double layer. Supercapacitors have separation of charge at an electric field which is only fractions of a nanometre, compared to micrometres for most polymer film capacitors. In doing so, supercapacitors are able to attain greater energy densities while still maintaining the characteristic of high power density of conventional capacitors. These are therefore more of an electrochemical device similar to an electrolytic capacitor. They store charge through reversible ion adsorption at the surface of high-surface-area carbon. Different materials, such as various carbon materials, mixed-metal oxides and
model hours Motorola DROID Turbo Sony Xperia Z3 Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Google Nexus 6 Asus ZenFone 2 Apple iPhone 6 Plus HTC One M9 LG G4
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9h 29 min (Excellent) 9h 29 min (Excellent) 9h 11 min (Excellent) 8h 43 min (Excellent) 7h 53 min (Good) 7h 34 min (Good) 6h 32 min (Average) 6h 25 min (Average) 6h 6 min (Average)
Fig. 2: Battery life of mobile phones
conducting polymers, have been used for supercapacitor electrodes. Advances in carbon-based materials, namely, graphene, have increased their energy density to almost the level of batteries. Graphene is a thin layer of pure carbon, tightly packed and bonded together in a hexagonal honeycomb lattice. It is widely regarded as the most suitable material for supercapacitors as it is the thinnest compound known to man at one atom thickness, as well as the best known conductor. It also has amazing strength and light absorption characteristics, and is even considered eco-friendly and sustainable, as carbon is widespread in nature and is a part of the human body. Graphene-based materials are considered as one of the most promising materials for the nextgeneration, flexible, thin-film supercapacitors due to their unique structure and properties: Their twodimensional structure can provide a large surface area, which serves as an extensive transport platform for electrolytes. The high conductivity of graphene sheets enables a low diffusion resistance, leading to enhanced power and Electric Double Layer Capacitor (EDLC) energy density. The Fig. 3: Electric double-layer capacitor (supercapacitor) superior mechanical 32
10h 42 min (Excellent)
property allows graphene sheets to be easily assembled into free-standing films with robust mechanical stability. Among graphene-based 2D films, graphene papers have attracted much attention due to their tunable thickness. But as devices shrink, integrating the storage element as close as possible to the electronic circuit (directly on a chip) is another challenge. Electrochemical capacitors with a high surface-to-volume ratio of the active material have high energy and power densities; this is further enhanced in microsupercapacitors. Porous activated, templated and carbide-derived carbons, multi- and single-walled carbon nanotubes, onion-like carbon (OLC) and multilayer graphene have been used as electrode materials in supercapacitors. Progress in micro-fabrication technology has enabled on-chip micro-supercapacitors in an interdigitated planar form in contrast to the conventional sandwich structure. The planar form is compatible with integrated circuits. Micro-supercapacitors, besides their miniaturised structure, have high power density, high rate capability and high frequency response, which are crucial for most applications. Among all the options available, only onion-like carbon has produced micro-supercapacitors capable of www.eFYmag.com
Power SuPPly Gel Electrolyte Cu
Current Collector
rre
nt
Electrode Material Wo rki
Current Collector
Ele
ctro
r
de
Fl
ex ib l
e
Su
ng
cto
te
Electrolyte
lle
bs tra
Separator
Co
Sandwich-type → Planar configuration Fig. 4: Micro-supercapacitor
ultra-high power handling with an R-C time constant of only 26ms.
Onion-like carbon Although OLC has been synthesised by many different methods in the last 30 years, large-scale production (gram quantities) of OLC was first realised in 1994 using vacuum annealing of a nanodiamond precursor. Annealing in inert gases to transform nanodiamond (currently produced in large quantities) to OLC is also used by many researchers. This method has a potential for industrial applications, as the onion yield is close to 100 per cent and the manufacturing volume is only limited by the size of the furnace, and can be scaled accordingly. This material rarely has ideal spherical carbon onions, but can be produced in large quantities for practical applications. Another synthesis technique using arc discharge between two graphite electrodes in water produces OLC of slightly different structure than from annealing of nanodiamond. A DC current of 30A and 17V applied between two graphite electrodes in water causes the carbon to evaporate
at the location of the arc due to the extreme heat generated. The carbon vapour rapidly condenses into highly spherical OLC particles. Hollow carbon onions have been produced with the help of metal nanoparticles. One practical method for the fabrication of hollow carbon onions uses nitric acid to dissolve nickel from the carbon-coated nickel nanoparticles. In this method, the decomposition of methane in the presence of Ni/Al catalyst particles produces carbon nano-onions as the primary product. Carbon-encapsulated metal (magnetic) nanoparticles represent a new class of zero-dimensional carbonmetal composite nanomaterials. These materials are very easily purified to the form of hollow onions by the subsequent nitric acid treatment. There are several other processes to produce carbon onions. Synthesis of carbon onions via chemical vapour deposition (CVD) utilises an iron catalyst supported on sodium chloride to decompose acetylene gas at 400°C temperature. Today, catalytic chemical vapour deposition is considered as the only economi-
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cally viable process for large-scale carbon nanotube production and their integration into various devices. In contrast to other methods of carbon onion synthesis, this CVD process yields much larger-diameter (50nm) particles. Carbon ion implantation is another method to produce carbon onions, which allows the particle diameter to be tuned from 3nm up to 30nm by varying synthesis conditions such as temperature or implantation dose density. Thermolysis, in which a compound is decomposed by heat, has been shown to be a method for carbon onion synthesis. Using sodium azide (NaN3) and hexachlorobenzene (C6Cl6) as reagents, a redox reaction causes an abrupt increase in temperature and pressure, producing large-diameter carbon nanotubes.
Recent progress in on-chip micro-supercapacitors A novel method is being developed for fabricating micro-patterned interdigitated electrodes based on reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and carbon nanotube (CNT) composites for ultra-high-power-handling microsupercapacitor applications. There are two main approaches to fabrication of devices with interdigital electrodes. In the first approach, interdigital current collectors are fabricated and then the active materials deposited onto the current collectors using thin-film deposition method. In the second approach, a patterning step is performed on a thin film of active material to form the interdigital electrodes.
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SCREENING
ULTRASOUND
imaging
Heat-Blocking Features Imaged By Ultrasound
W
Tom Adams is a consultant at Sonoscan, Inc., USA
Fig. 1: Ultrasound launched into a sample is reflected not at all by a hom*ogeneous material (left), moderately by interfaces between solids (centre) and almost completely by a solid-to-air interface (right)
hen power is applied, an integrated circuit begins to heat up within its package. It shortly reaches the operating temperature range for which it was designed. Excess heat begins to dissipate along a path designed for the die. If there are no structural anomalies along this path, heat dissipation from the IC will be uneventful. For a low-power IC packaged in plastic and mounted to a printed wiring board, the dissipation path may be very simple: heat flows downward through the die attach and further dissipates through the metal die paddle. From here it makes its way through the backside mould compound. If the level of heat dissipated is low, heat-blocking anomalies along this path (die attach voids and non-bonds, for example) may have little effect, unless these cover a significant area of the dissipation path. But for higher-power dies, the absence of structural anomalies along the path is more critical and the path may terminate in a metal heat-sink designed to dissipate the higher heat flow. The task for assemblers is to ensure that every die has a clear heat dissipation path. This means paying attention to die attach voids and surface contamination that can lead to non-bonds. For example, in plastic IC packages gaps may also occur in the bond between the backside of
Scanning
hom*ogeneous— no interface No Reflection
36
Transducer
Solid-to-Solid Interface 10% to 90% Reflection
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Solid-to-Air Interface Near 100% Reflection
the die paddle and the mould compound. In insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules, even if no voids or other gaps are present, heat dissipation can be impaired by the tilting or warping of one or more interfaces along the dissipation path. Die failures from imperfect heat dissipation can, to some degree, be anticipated by destructive physical analysis of field failures and of assemblies that have been life tested. These results may point to a process step that needs to be altered, or to a material that needs to be modified. A more direct method for finding structural anomalies is an acoustic micro imaging tool, which nondestructively images and analyses internal structural features, including voids, nonbonds, tilting and warping. There are tools available that use an ultrasonic transducer to scan back and forth just above the plastic-encapsulated IC, IGBT module or other sample. The transducer is coupled to the top surface of the sample by a column of water that travels with the transducer; ultrasound at such high frequencies does not travel through the air. While moving, the transducer passes over several thousand x-y locations each second. At each location the transducer launches a pulse of ultrasound, and records the echoes sent back by material interfaces at various depths within the sample. Ultrasound pulsed into the sample is reflected only by material interfaces. Gates are set by the operator to define the depth range from which echoes will be accepted for imaging. Put a block of hom*ogeneous silicon onto the stage with a gate that includes virtually all of the silicon but neither the top or bottom surface, and the sample will send back no return echo signals at all, as seen at the left of Fig. 1, and the acoustic image will be solid black. If the pulse has been set to have somewhat wider gate that includes both the top and bottom surfaces (interfaces) of the silicon www.eFYmag.com
SCREENING
ULTRASOUND
imaging An engineer examinblock, these two intering this image would find faces will be imaged. plenty of information to In either case, some of use in process control. the ultrasound will be In Fig. 3, on the left absorbed and scattered is the optical image of a as it passes through the heat-sink bolted to the silicon. back side of a printed The amplitude of circuit board, where it any return echo signal dissipates heat from a depends on the properties component on the top of the two materials at a side of the board. The given interface. The amacoustic image of the plitude of an echo from same heat-sink is shown the interface between two Fig. 2: White regions are air-filled heat-blocking voids in the adhesive on the right. solids can range from just material for this heat-sink The return echoes above a small percentwere gated on a depth age of the pulse to above from just above to just 90 per cent, as seen in below the solder layer. the centre of Fig. 1. But The bolts are therefore the amplitude of a return black, similar to the bolts echo from any solid-toin Fig. 2. At the centre is air interface is invariably the acoustic image of the very nearly 100 per cent, cavity on the far side that as seen at right in Fig. 1. holds the component. The Even if the gap containing numerous irregular white the air or another gas is features are voids—air as thin as a small fraction trapped in the fluid solder of a micron, the ampliwhen the heat-sink was tude will be the same. put in place. X-ray tends The time of flight of Fig. 3: Optical (left) and acoustic (right) images of a heat-sink on the back of a printed circuit board to miss thin features such the return echo signals as these because so little can also be recorded and of the solid material is absent. they run completely through the used to measure the distance from a Practically, any heat-sink that is gated depth—that is, there is no reference point to the interface from joined to its substrate by solder or interface within the gated depth to which the pulse is being reflected at another adhesive is subject to voids, reflect ultrasound. a given x-y coordinate. In this way non-bonds and other gaps that block The irregularly shaped white a buried contour such as a warped heat flow from the die. In addition features are voids within the solder. layer can be measured and imaged. to imaging the adhesive layer, an These were formed by air bubFig. 2 shows the acoustic imacoustic microscope can measure bles trapped in the fluid solder. age of bonding of a heat-sink. The and report the percentage of the The voids block heat flowing from transducer scanned the area of the bond area that is occupied by gaps. the die, as do the intended voids heat-sink and collected return echo IGBT modules are more likely to around the bolts. The solid-to-air signals from the gate depth, which be imaged than many other items interface at the face of the void encompassed the solder layer bondbecause their high power levels and nearest to the transducer reflects ing the heat-sink to its substrate as the types of applications (subway virtually all of the ultrasound, and well as the two interfaces (solder to cars and mine drilling equipment, thus appears white in the acoustic heat-sink, and solder to substrate). for example) make the presence of image. At three of the four corners Gray regions in the acoustic image gaps that can impede heat flow more of the heat-sink, what appears to represent partial reflection of the critical. An inverted acoustic micro be an intended void surrounds the ultrasonic pulse from one or both of imaging tool meets the requirement bolt; solder flowed into the void these interfaces. of imaging IGBT modules through at upper left. There are smaller Black spots are images of holes the heat-sink. Its transducer faces up intended voids that partly surround for bolts that will hold the heat-sink to pulse ultrasound into the module most of the other bolts. in place. These are black because 38
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SCREENING
ULTRASOUND
imaging biotech Fig.and 4 shows congestive heart failure other the Time Differcardiac ailments. image of one Golden Gopherence Magnetic of nine ceramic Biosensing system. This portable, rafts in an IGBT low-cost and easy-to-use device module. The detects biomarkers in human serum spectrum and urine, as well colour as heavy metals maps the surface in lake water. Known as Z-lab, this of theiswarped highly-sensitive sensor now in ceramicmore raft: portthe development for smaller, deepest points able models. (nearest the Electronic Aspirin. For to people die) are yellow. who suffer from migraines, clusandof ter headaches andRed, otherpink causes subsequent colchronic, excruciating head or facial ours are closer to pain, the ‘take two aspirins and call the heat-sink. The me in the morning’ method is useFig. 4: Colours indicating specific depths map the warpage in regions in less. Doctors haveblack long associated the ceramic raft of an IGBT module. Black items (and smaller coloured items) are voids in the solder the lower left of and the most severe, chronic forms right corners are Fig. 5: Endotronix wireless health monitoring headache with sphenopalatine ganeither in contact withnerve the heat-sink and can create images at any depth, glion (SPG), a facial bundle, or very close to it—that these reincluding the die attach near the top but have not yet found ais,treatment gions are aabove the gate andonimaged of the module. that has long-term effect SPG. as black acoustic shadows. Besides internal gaps, there Electronic Aspirin is a patientNumerous voids of various is another reason to image IGBT powered tool for blocking SPG sizes are also present in the solder. The modules acoustically: The heat-sink signals at the first sign of a headblack ones are above the gate and is bonded to a ceramic raft, which ache, and involves the permanent adjacent to the heat-sink; others are tends to warp or tilt. Even if there implant of a small nerve-stimulating at the depth defined by their colour. are no voids in the adhesive, a device in the upper gum on the side Thehead die attach material above distorted raft makes heat flow from of the normally affected by the raft in an IGBT module is a the die non-uniformly, and creates headache. Lead tip of the implant Fig. 6: Golden Gopher Magnetic Biosensing system second location where may mechanical stresses within the die connects with the SPGvoids bundle, and occur, and the acoustic microscope that can lead to fracture and electriwhen a patient senses the onset tool can also cal failure of the die. of a scanning headache,the heheat-sink or she places image the die attach. The return Both anomalies—voids and a handheld remote controller on echoes from the dietoattach must raft distortion—are imaged by the the cheek nearest the implant. pass through the solder layer, with acoustic microscope tool in a single Resulting signals stimulate SPG the result that voids in the solder scan of the module by using the nerves and block pain-causing (like those in Fig. 4) may hide some Time Difference mode. The return neurotransmitters. of the voidssmart in thecontact die attach. But echoes in this case do not report Google lenses. an IGBT module with voids at both Fig. 7: Electronic Aspirin the amplitude of the echo. Instead, Google has created smart contact locations islenses likelymade to be for rejected anythese report the distance of the people how, although it can be reworked if reflecting surface from a reference who suffer from diabetes not yet encapsulated. point. The gate defining the depth and those who simAcoustic tools have range from which echoes will be plymicroscope wear glasses. The numerous other imaging modes that accepted extends from just below technology is engineered Soft contact lens encapsulates are useful in examining heat-sinks— the interface between the solder and electronics to take the tears in a Sensor detects non-destructive cross-sectioning, for the heat-sink to a depth just below person’s eye and measure glucose in tears example, or the ability to simultanethe deepest point on the surface of glucose levels. For people Chip and antenna receive ously makewho dozens very thinly the ceramic raft. The gate itself is power and wearofglasses, the send information gated images at specific In planar, so the thousands or millions lens would bedepths. engineered all cases, the goal is to image and of echoes collected from x-y coordito what the companies analyse features might the interfere nates will create a surface contour say is that ‘to restore eye’s with heat flow. map of the raft. natural autofocus.’ Fig. 8: Google’s smart contact lenses implanted during a routine catheterisation procedure. It requires no leads or implanted batteries, and sends data to a secure Web platform. The sensor is designed to improve the quality of life and medical outcomes, as well as lower costs for those who suffer from
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tech focus
The Evolution Of Industrial Revolution—IIoT
Industry 4.0 (Image courtesy: www.eltec.de)
T Vertica Asthana is a technical journalist at EFY
here was a catastrophic incidence of oil spillage from the oil rigs in Gulf of Mexico in April 2010. The drilling rig ‘Deepwater Horizon’ had spilled about 185 million gallons of oil into the sea, endangering breeds of marine creatures. Later, forensic reports proved that a puncture in the pipe due to oil and gas pressure had created the havoc. Had there been a smart automation system in place, the fault would have been detected at an early stage, hence avoiding the mishap. This incident highlights the necessity of smart automation in industries. And as it is said “necessity is the mother of disruption,” the dire need of a safe, secure and efficient industrial system gave birth to the Industrial Internet of Things or IIoT.
The IIoT roadmap There was a time in the 18th century when industrial machines were powered by steam. Industry 2.0 was powered by electric energy and industry 3.0 went autonomous. Now we have industry 4.0, 42
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which runs on cyber-physical systems. This paradigm shift of the industry norms from manual to smart automation is helping to remotely monitor and control every part of the industrial facility. “Later, five considerations were taken for enabling IIoT—distributed intelligence, rapid connectivity, establishing open standards and systems, real-time context integration and autonomous production lines,” says Narendra Sivalenka, senior manager-IoT team, Cyient. Extracting data from all systems or extricating data from the main system and placing it into different machines in perfection is the distributed intelligence in the IIoT. This data is then connected with each other in a network after integration. Later, as per customer needs, this data is extracted in a smart way to avoid monotony of work, maximise throughput and minimise labour cost.
Technology behind the IIoT Hardware components of the IIoT include sensors, RFID, condition monitoring, www.eFYmag.com
tech focus distributed control systems (DCS), smart meters, camera system, industrial robotics, AHS and networking technologies. Product lifecycle management (PLM) systems, manufacturing execution systems (MES) and supervisory control and data acquisition systems (SCADA) are the software parts. Processor technology, artificial intelligence, DRAMs and memories, and virtual and augmented reality are fields of the IIoT where something exciting is happening on a regular basis.
Driving circuit As mentioned in ‘Industrial Developer Boards’ article of July issue, these boards are undergoing a complete technology change. These find various IIoT applications including robotics, automotive manufacturing, power grids and many more. The RF-based detector in industrial developer boards allows 3D mapping of objects using timeof-flight concept. Thus, antennae are embedded in the system itself, making the board condensed while reducing processing time. Such industrial developer boards are beneficial for robotics. Footprint reduction of FPGAs, antennae and other critical components is creating a boom in the industrial IoT segment. Reducing the component size not only helps in reducing the manufacturing costs but also in thermal suppression. Be it the power supply section for a developer board serving the pickand-place machine or a developer board for smart lighting, thermal dissipation is considerably low. For applications like motor drives, machine-to-machine communication and smart grids, real-time processing and analysis, longevity, warranty and flexibility are key factors that make industrial boards the preferred option over normal boards. Typically, these can 44
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Flexible glass sensor (Image courtesy: httpslmts.epfl.ch)
withstand industrial temperatures ranging from –40 degrees to 80 degrees centigrade. There are also a few developer boards meant for ovens, which can withstand temperatures of more than 300ºC. Sensor integration allows a device to perform several functions. For instance, automobiles are now well-equipped with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, indicators, odometer, fuel indicator, theft alarm and many such features. Similarly, infotainment system, cluster, automotive and automotive advanced driver assistance are now integrated on a single MCU, thus reducing the wire harnessing and simplifying the anatomy of cars, making them safer as well as far more efficient. In these cases, developer boards are designed to integrate a number of functions, which helps to reduce the design costs and space requirements.
Smart camera and imaging system Similarly, imaging is no longer restricted to laboratories only. It is now gaining significance at the industrial level as well. A leading automobile manufacturing company employed a robotic
arm for automation, which was used to detect the objects to pick and assemble only at a spatial frame and angle. But, even if there was no work, the robotic arm continued to move, which reduced its service life and wasted electricity. Now, with smart automation, robots can easily identify objects in 3D space too. This is particularly helpful for the automation segment, where robot arms could identify the objects to be picked and placed in a single direction only. Thus, 3D vision is making manufacturing smarter, saving time, electricity and human efforts. New measuring techniques have come up for the automotive industry’s paint lines, which combine deflection in 3D and 2D surface inspection. This technology in cameras controls the quality 100 per cent and the inbuilt sensors deliver precise automated results in real time. Experts believe that in future, with battery-managed electrical vehicles, the necessity to keep a check on foreign bodies, rough cuts and splits will increase. Enhanced efficiency, reliability, clarity and fast process are just some of the reasons to upgrade the imaging system not only in electrical vehicles www.eFYmag.com
tech focus IIoT and its emergence
Protocols coming up
Although Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is a complex system, it is creating waves worldwide. Companies and government bodies have already started adopting measures for the IIoT. UK government has recently announced plans to integrate its power grid with IoT devices to improve the grid’s reliability and cut down the unnecessary costs. Audi, the German auto manufacturing firm, has launched its first self-driving car A8 with level-3 technology supported by NVIDIA—the biggest chipset manufacturer of the USA. In telecom sector, China Telecom and Ericsson had signed an MoU in 2016 to build a global IoT in order to provide one-stop global IT connectivity solution to enterprises. Back home, Indian government has launched the Digital India initiative to prepare the country for data-driven future. As part of the initiative, technology will be used to connect health and medicines, education and employment services with people. NTPC has initiated a process to make its plants modernised and clean. The efficiency of the plant will increase as they are setting up 10,000 sensors in the premises. Similarly, Shell, an oil and gas major, uses visualisation technique and MRI-like technology to tap natural resources from the exact location. Sensors are connected internally as well as externally on the gas and oil pipeline for monitoring purpose. Thus, the IoT is simplifying the traditional practices and is reaching out to places where manually the work gets complicated and yields lower efficiency. As per reports, the smart industry will be worth $ 215 billion by the year 2025. Industry experts believe that the IIoT will play a major role in telecom industry’s growth by leaps and bounds. EDGE devices with 2G speeds and 6LowPAN technology will help to provide connectivity to the remotest parts of India.
“Although companies have adopted protocols such as MQTT, Rest, MT-connect, object management group and OPC-UA, with the rising security concerns for connected devices there is an urgent need for establishing uniformly recognised global standards for both communication and security protocols,” shares Vinay Nathan, CEO, Altizon. MQTT, short for ‘message queue telemetry transport,’ is an ISO standard designed for remote locations where the bandwidth is limited. This message protocol is used on top of TCP/IP protocol, to support wireless networks with varying levels of latency due to unreliable connections. For instance, for measuring temperatures globally and creating a database where one can see the history, MQTT has a solution known as Wildcards. This solution can be used for any location (even customised areas), irrespective of the country. When it comes to productivity, manufacturers can use open and free source standards to develop customised systems for their processes. Here, MT-connect protocol is a boon for the IIoT. It can be used to extract data from the controller and perform pattern recogni-
but also in mobile communication networking as we move ahead to 5G technology.
DRAMs becoming smart When we consider upgrades in IIoT implementation, DRAMs are a unique trendsetter. Sivalenka states, “The 3D chip technology has converted to mainstream and for high capacity and performance, the industry is heading towards 3D DIMM RAM. The higher the bandwidth memory, the higher is the storage-on-chip and the wider the bus possible with offchip memory.”
plication. The wider the bandwidth, the greater the number of devices or lights that can be connected to each other in a long-range frame. Due to the increasing bandwidth of networking protocols used in smart lighting, wireless technologies are also making way to highend developments using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and Li-Fi technologies. In the lighting field itself, the annual growth rate is anticipated up to 25 per cent.
Publish IoT Devices
Smart networking protocols ZigBee, Lora WAN, Ethernet protocol and Bluetooth 5.0 are some of the smart networking protocols that are implemented in smart lighting, smart energy and smart automation systems. ZigBee Pro wireless network can support up to 2.4GHz band for the IoT. This flexibility and connectivity can be used in streetlight ap46
september 2017 | electronics For You
Subscriber Smart Phone Message
Subscriber Internal Server
Publish IoT Devices Publish IoT Devices
Message
Virtual Channel Topic
Subscriber PC
MQTT protocol www.eFYmag.com
tech focus tion for monitoring the health condition of spindle and machine tool axes. Object Management Group is helping with IIoT standardisation across the globe. Data Distribution Service (DDS), Systems Modeling Language (SysML) and Interaction Flow Modeling Language (IFML) are contributing to improve the productivity, cut costs and streamline processes of the IIoT.
IIoT no longer a hype Earlier, the IIoT was an application that required lots of capital investment. So only up to 15 per cent of industrial assets was converted into digitised data. Now, as enterprises aim to lower sensor costs and change the route of sensor application, the IIoT is said to convert assets up to 35 per cent. Initiatives have been taken in European countries like Germany and France to promote implementation of the IIoT on a big scale. Countries like USA, India and China are also deploying smart manufacturing technologies to increase their national GDPs. Schneider Electric has recently expanded its automation portfolio in India with the launch of IoT-enabled smart pumping solutions, which asserts that the IIoT is no longer a hype.
IIoT and smart applications From smart dust to drones, futuristic farming to energy networks, motor control to machine-to-machine, IIoT applications are creating a web across the globe. Motors are a generic element of the manufacturing industry. So their efficiency, reliability and power consumption need to be taken care of. FPGA ICs exhibit long-term reliability and long lifecycles, supporting the working of motors for long hours. Similarly, there are devices that support the powerful Ethernet-based protocol for real-time communications. 5G is the latest trend, which has left 2G, 3G and 4G behind. This technology is evoking the interest of key industry players due to its higher bitrate, lower latency and extended bandwidth. For instance, smart cars and intelligent mobility systems largely depend upon 5G and the IoT. Smart cars provide sophisticated features such as infotainment, communications, diagnostics and driver assistance. Fully automated vehicles are still far off, yet some manufacturers are providing smart features like parking assistance and crash avoidance. According to research reports, by year 2020, connected cars will account for up to 75 per cent of the worldwide shipments, which is quite large compared to the present scenario. And embedded systems will account for 40 per cent of the material cost of these www.eFYmag.com
electronics For You | september 2017
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tech focus complex vehicles. While we cite out smart cars, there is a co-operative systems innovation in Europe which is a part of intelligent mobility systems. The city circuit is a venture of service providers like automotive supply chain, road transport and digital industries engaged in development and testing of vehicles integrated with their environment.
Obstacles The Deutsche Bank estimates that in industrial-level automation, the level of efficiency, accuracy and reliability achieved with the IIoT increases the productivity by 30 per cent. Still, some industries in India look at the IIoT as a separate business segment where they need to spend money on sophisticated things. There are other reasons too. In case of critical machinery control, there is a high possibility of failure if timings of the control signals mismatch. So, there needs to be a safe and secured networking system for communication between systems even miles apart. Moreover, there is a requirement of flexible hardware, software and networking platforms that are capable enough to be in-sync with each other. With the sophisticated network comes the responsibility of data handling and security. Lots of machinery is required to connect with each other and derive data from functions. Data being very large, it needs to be clubbed in a single cloud-based system. This cloudbased system should be tightly secured so that only registered users can extract the company’s factory automation data. It is foreseen that by 2020, companies will spend roughly above $1.5 trillion a year on the IIoT. As many as 96 per cent of industrialists expect an increase in the number of attacks on the 48
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Adoption of the IIoT GE has carved a niche for itself in the IIoT segment. The New York factory of GE, which manufactures sodium-nickel batteries, has more than 10,000 sensors employed in its manufacturing area. Sensors monitor the quantity and quality of the battery material, bake temperature of the oven, air pressure present and the battery energy. The complete supervision from production to final testing phase is carried out using sensors. There are other companies too that have started venturing in this technology. Suhel Dhanani, senior principal, MTS, industrial strategy, Maxim Integrated, has shared in his EFY article on ‘Security Challenges in IIoT’ that 75 per cent of Siemens Amberg PLC manufacturing plant is automated. Recently, Ericsson has launched Ericsson Maritime ICT via Maritime ICT cloud, where using the sensor system, the location of vessel, speed and temperature can be monitored in real time. As it is a cloud-based technology, the data can then be shared with the respective firms including the companies that are shipping goods to the production floor and warehouse. This technology helps in avoiding fatal accidents while compacting the data into one cloud that is accessible to the users. Schneider Electric has launched a smart IoT pump under its automation portfolio. The Indian pump market is projected to grow by 12 per cent annually till 2020. That means ample scope for smart pumping solutions in Industrial, agricultural and domestic sectors. Energy efficiency is an area of concern for the industry as most of the industrial motors utilise pumps, which leads to electricity cost accounting for 40 per cent of the total cost of ownership of a pump.
IIoT in 2017. So leading companies have created some protocols to plan a tightly secured IIoT system. From understanding the concerns to studying the attack trends, from evaluating the risk of blending IT and OT to considering the devices and gateways, some best practices have been initiated by the experts.
Future outlook Nathan says, “The IoT is making big strides due to new advances on both hardware and software fronts. On the hardware side, printed flexible sensors are the future of technology for the IIoT. These sensors are lightweight and low-cost, which will be a critical evolution for the field. On the software front, edge computing is proving to be a game changer by allowing cloud-based machine learning models to be pushed to distributed machine environment, thereby making hardware more intelligent, fast, and reliable.” Also, edge computing would be implemented to push intelligence to the edge. Sensors ranging from optical and temperature to piezoelectric,
and gas and humidity sensors will all be printed on flexible substrates, representing a growing market. This is a technology forecast for the period 2017-27, when major players will shrink the size of sensors to increase their number in a unit, thereby increasing the number of functions it can perform. With properties like mechanical flexibility, thinness and weightlessness, flexible sensors are all set to break the barriers of commercialisation. Edge computing technology has become a common framework that builds an ecosystem for plug-andplay of components in a system through simplification and standardisation. Thus, it makes interoperability between devices, applications and services possible. Experts envision the future of the IIoT as one which would deal in security solutions for the IIoT and deploy millions of devices connected to each other. We cannot wait any longer for a single concept of the IIoT that would connect millions of devices worldwide, thereby enabling just one organisational culture for all nations. www.eFYmag.com
Decision Makers’ connect
GREEN TECHNOLOGY
IndIa’s defence sector
focusIng on IndIgenous and green technologIes
‘’I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interactions. The world will have a generation of idiots.’ - Albert Einstein The Paris Agreement on climate change is now the basis for many decisions on the manufacturing processes and systems that should be followed all over the world. While industry at large slowly moves toward the implementation of green technology, international militaries cannot be left behind in the race to adopt this technology. Certain ambitious targets have been set by the Paris Agreement, in terms of lowering energy consumption, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and slashing carbon emissions. Across all verticals, the adoption of more environment-aware manufacturing processes is referred to as green manufacturing. Today, India’s armed forces are the third largest in the world and their combined expenditure is the eighth largest defence budget, globally. In 2016, on World Environment Day, the broad 50
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outline of how to reduce the carbon footprint of the Indian armed forces was chalked out. The Indian Navy recently created an energy and environment cell, which is tasked with making it an environmentally responsible force -- not only energy and resource efficient, but resilient in terms of energy costs and disruptions. The main aims of this mission are energy conservation, diversification of energy supplies and minimising the impact on the environment. These aims are being achieved by using cutting-edge technology and state-ofart equipment, which are energy efficient and have a low carbon footprint. Mass energy conservation drives have become the norm, driven by this cell. Regular mentoring sessions are held across the commands and repair stations, to continuously educate and sensitise personnel on the importance of energy
and environmental conservation, and to make environment consciousness a way of life. These initiatives have borne fruit, with significant savings to the tune of Rs 15 million to Rs 200 million annually, per naval base station. The Defence Institute of Bio-Energy Research (DIBER), a DRDO lab based at Haldwani in Uttarakhand, has developed a bio-diesel from a plant called Jatropha Curcas, which is a blend that includes 20 per cent normal diesel. Trials for this have been successful on ships like the INS Shivaji. And now, with the inclusion of the bio-diesel powered fast interceptor combat vehicles, the progress in this new direction is encouraging.
An overview of the changes India today accounts for 14 per cent of global arms imports (see Figure 1 for global details), and 2.4 per cent of the www.EFYMag.coM
Decision Makers’ connect
Defence Special a composites manufacturing facility in Goa. The other critical component in the design, Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Moulding (VARTM), was also successfully manufactured in India. The developments shown in this regard stand to benefit the land based and aerospace applications in the future. Varunastra torpedo: This underwater missile has been developed by research scientists at the Naval Science and Technological Labs (NTSL) in partnership with the Hyderabad based
Fig. 1: World’s largest exporters and importers of weapons
country’s GDP is spent on defence. With the increased threats at our borders, the spend on defence is slated to touch 7-8 per cent of the GDP in the next five years. That’s the reason why Make in India is critical for the defence sector in times to come. In the process, traditional manufacturing methods would need to give way to lean and green options, even while improving the bottomline for businesses. Capital investment estimates for India’s defence sector over the next five years hint at a figure of US$ 250 billion, with 53 per cent invested in the Army, 23 per cent in the Air Force, 16 per cent in the Navy, 6 per cent in defence R&D, 1 per cent on ordinance factory development and the remaining 1 per cent on other miscellaneous activities. India today gets nearly 70 per cent of its defence requirements from abroad, but that’s slated to change with the new directives coming into force. And with the FDI level opening up to 49 per cent, the sector is surely going to see changes, with projections that Indian manufacturing for the defence sector will grow from 15 per cent of the total market to 25 per cent within five years. So let’s look at the major products that are being made in India for its armed forces today, by adopting indigenous and green processes that have a focus on reusability. Sonar dome: India has joined a select group of countries that have the capabilities to manufacture the sonar dome. This dome is attached to the bottom of ships, and scans the seas for submarine threats. The manufacturing requirements are technically demanding. The R&D for this project was done at Pune, by the DRDO lab under the aegis of Research and Development The sonar dome Establishment Engineers (RDEE). The dome was manufactured by Kineco Ltd, 52
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Manohar Parrikar, former defence minister, takes a look at the indigenously designed Varunastra torpedo
PSU, Bharat Dynamics, with a defined road map from creation to commissioning. And 2016 was the year when this initiative turned into reality. At the time of its launch and commissioning to the services,
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Decision Makers’ connect Manohar Parrikar, the then defence minister, stated: “In these high technology areas, DRDO’s contribution with 95 per cent of indigenous content is an apt example for a product from the ‘Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured’ category.” The torpedo is an important milestone in pushing India towards self-reliance when it comes to underwater defence capabilities. Our current lot of submarines and warships will now be equipped with these new torpedoes, which will make them a potent force for the future. The capability of these torpedoes extends to knocking down stealth missiles in deep or shallow waters, if the situation demands it. Tejas: This light combat aircraft has been jointly developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA). The aircraft can take up a variety of roles in war situations and is supersonic by nature. It took around 3000+ sorties to demonstrate the capabilities of this LCA prior to it being inducted into the Indian Air Force. Speaking at the launch of the Tejas fighter, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the LCA demonstrated India’s skills and strengths in enhancing indigenous defence manufacturing. The
The Tejas LCA
Tejas is capable of firing air-to-air missiles, and can drop laser guided bombs. And most information gathered during sorties can be captured in real-time by the inclusion of a high-resolution display in the co*ckpit. Long range surface-to-air missile (LRSAM): This missile has been jointly developed by DRDO and the Israel Aerospace Industries, to complement the capabilities of the MRSAM (medium range surface-to-air missile). Last year, in September, LRSAM was tested on two pilotless target aircrafts, at different ranges and altitudes. And both exercises 54
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Defence Special were successful. Among the versatile technologies used in the LRSAM are the radar guidance system, the communication system and the missile system.
Evaluating the lack of private sector participation in defence manufacturing Private manufacturers lack the incentive to enter the defence sector because of a number of reasons. These include the risk on returns due to the rigorous checks in the sector, a stringent and ambiguous policy framework, irregular orders, lack of demand and the non-
The indigenous long range surface-to-air missile
feasibility of small orders, the scarcity of resources and skilled manpower to meet the sensitive requirements of the sector, etc. These problems are made worse by the lack of economies of scale in production and the long gestation periods. There is also a feeling in the private sector that there isn’t a level playing field vis-a-vis the public sector. This is because of the lopsided rules of the government and the incentives that are provided to the public sector units in terms of vast infrastructure, investments, technology collaborations, etc. In short, in the current scenario, private players find manufacturing for the defence sector unsustainable. With the defence sector at an inflection point, the government must take the necessary steps to bridge the gap between its intentions and the ground realities. Considering the potential of this sector, the government should assume more responsibility to boost its efficiency and ensure fair play, by creating strong
policy frameworks while keeping the security aspects in mind.
The way forward Considering the various aspects of the defence sector, here are certain recommendations for getting the private players more involved in manufacturing for this sector. 1. Policy simplification: As of today, the sector is governed by varied policies that cover licensing, import and export duties, security checks, tax regulations and procurement. The controls and restrictions imposed on the players operating in an uncertain and unclear legal framework affect efficiency and productivity. The bureaucratic delays add to the challenges, affecting the inflow for foreign investments. All government policies must be harmonised and synchronised towards a single window clearance with prefixed turnaround times (TATs) and a smooth operational framework, which would aid in ease of doing business. 2. Tax holidays: The government of the day should consider extending benefits to defence manufacturers by giving the sector an infra status, wherein it can enjoy 100 per cent tax subsidy for a stipulated number of years, and cut down the import duties on capital expenditure. This will help strengthen the base of the manufacturing industry. 3. Inclusive development: The ministry must address the industry demands, and provide advanced infrastructure and functional funding in terms of prototyping finance for SMEs, ensure ongoing and regular orders, give R&D support and help in absorbing the risks on returns since defence manufacturing involves low volumes. Government policies should help in attracting angel investors to this sector, and the outsourcing model must be worked upon, whereby PSUs involve the SMEs. The overall idea is to balance out investments against the profits for the sector. 4. Fostering strategic partnerships: The recent government policy where foreign investors need to have a strategic Indian partner is a step in the right direction. More bold steps in this direction must be thought of to create a better ecosystem to boost domestic www.EFYMag.coM
tutorial
Demystifying Thermopile SenSorS
T
hermopile temperature sensors offer the advantage of non-contact temperature measurement, which has made them more popular than traditional contact-type temperature sensors. These sensors use infrared (IR) radiation for heat transfer, and are commonly used in portable devices such as infrared thermometers. Another attractive application for thermopile sensors is temperature monitoring of moving objects, where contact-based temperature sensors have serious drawbacks. Here is an overview of thermopile infrared temperature sensors to help you take full advantage of this technology.
T.K. Hareendran is founder and promoter of TechNode Protolabz—an electronics R&D Lab
Sensor insight A thermopile infrared sensor has a number of thermocouples connected in series that have their ‘hot’ junctions attached to a thin infrared absorber, usually on a micro-machined membrane on a silicon chip. The exchange of infrared radiation between the absorber and the object in front of it makes the temperature of the absorber rise or fall, depending on the temperature difference between it and the object. To properly measure the vout object’s temperature, the object must completely fill the sensor’s field of view (FOV).
thermopile thermocouple
tref
ir absorber
isothermal block
Fig. 1: Structure of a thermopile object
infrared radiation
silicon lens
infrared sensor
Fig. 2: Silicon lens/filter execution
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Fig. 3: Thermopile sensors/modules
This ensures that the infrared radiation affecting the thermopile is coming only from the object of interest and not its background. Besides, use of a filter and lens greatly enhances the performance of infrared sensors. Plain silicon is completely opaque to visible light, but transparent to wavelengths longer than 2µm where most spectral emission occurs for temperatures below 500K (200°C or 450°F). Therefore silicon material can be used for filtering the visible and ultraviolet (UV) spectrum from affecting the sensor. In order to increase the sensor’s sensitivity (or the distance from which the sensor can measure a fixed-size object), micro-machined silicon lens is widely used to concentrate more infrared radiation onto the sensor or limit its field of vision.
Sensor playground Nowadays, thermopile infrared (IR) temperature sensors are available with various lenses/filters, allowing use in realworld applications ranging from industrial pyrometers to lifecare devices. Depending on the sensor, the output signal can be the standard resistance output or analogue/ digital signal output. Various sensor packages (useful for hobbyists and makers alike), including hermetically sealed housings, stainlesssteel packaged housings and pre-wired modules, are now available at affordable prices. All of these thermopiles are designed to measure temperature from a distance by detecting the object’s infrared energy. The thermopile sensing element, composed of small thermocouples on a silicon chip, absorbs the energy and produces an output signal. A reference sensor is also included in the package as a reference for compensation. TPS334 thermopile detector. TPS334 thermopile detector, from Excelitas, is a standard sensor that www.eFYmag.com
tutorial
1
thermopile
3
4
2 thermistor
housing
Fig. 4: (L) TPS334 package and (R) its pin drawing
offset correction tp
+ -
switch c
+
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vtobj
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ptat
vref
comp 1
comp 2
serial interface (sclk, sdat)
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switch d
vtobj : output voltage object temperature vtamb : output voltage ambient temperature vref : 1.225v reference voltage
tp: thermopile ptat: temperature sensor
Fig. 5: Functional diagram of A2TPMI
mlX90614
4-vss 1-scl/vz
3-vdd
2-sda/pWm
Pin name
Function
SCL/Vz
Serial clock input for 2 wire communications protocol. 5.7V zener is available at this pin for connection of external bipolar transistor to MLX90614Axx to supply the device from external 8........16V source.
SDA/PWM Digital input/output. In normal mode the measured object temperature is available at this pin Pulse Width Modulated. In SMBus compatible mode the pin is automatically configured as open drain NMOS. VDD
External supply voltage.
VSS
Ground. The metal can is also connected to this pin.
scl
bottom view
sda vdd gnd
1 mlX90614 scl vz 4 pWm vss 2 sda vdd 3
Fig. 6: Pin configuration of MLX90614
employs a chip of 0.7×0.7mm2 absorber size, and a 30-kilo-ohm thermistor as the temperature reference component. Its round window opening is outfitted with a 5.5µm long-pass infrared filter. TPS334 is available in TO-5 type package. A2TPMI thermopile. A2TPMI, another thermopile from Excelitas, is a versatile infrared thermopile sensor with an integrated configurable ASIC for signal processing and ambient temperature compensation. www.eFYmag.com
This integrated infrared module senses the thermal radiation emitted by objects and converts it into an analogue voltage. Because of the internal digital signal processing and 8-bit resolution of the internal control registers, A2TPMI has improved accuracy for adjustment and improved performance. Its E2PROM technology allows unlimited change in the configuration. Due to integration of sensor and electronics in a compact TO-39 (6-pin) housing, electronics For You | september 2017
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tutorial vcc3.3v
vcc5v 3 c1 1µf
vcc3.3v u1 Xc6206-3.3 1 vin vout gnd c3 2 10µf
gnd
a3 c4 0.1µf a1 a2
r7 r5 r6 10k 10k 10k
u2 v+ agnd dgnd
scl sda adr0 adr1 drdY
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47 47
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jp1 1 2 3 4 4 header j1
tmp006
1 2
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r8 1k
r3 1k
vcc3.3v a0
con2
gnd j?
d1 led
vcc3.3v a1 gnd
gnd
j?
Fig. 7: TMP006 schematic
A2TPMI is a good solution for hobbyists too. Functional diagram of A2TPMI is shown in Fig. 5. MLX90614. MLX90614 from Melexis is a very popular infrared thermometer for non-contact temperature measurements. It is a perfect blend of an infrared sensitive thermopile detector chip and the signal conditioning ASSP integrated in the same TO-39 (4-pin) housing. The thermometer comes with a low-noise amplifier, 17-bit analogueto-digital converter and powerful digital signal processor unit. It is factory calibrated with a digital pulse-width modulation (PWM) and system management bus (SMBus) output.
Design guide It is not very difficult to connect thermopiles with a serial interface like A2TPMI to microcontrollers.
However, for sensors without builtin processor (for example, TPS334), it might become necessary to add an external signal processing circuitry based on a high-quality, low-noise type operational amplifier like LTC1050/1051. For DIYers, Texas Instruments’ TMP006 infrared thermopile sensor based module is another low-cost but good option. Original schematic diagram of the module is shown in Fig. 7.
Maintenance and handling Since thermopile sensors are staticsensitive, unused sensors must be stored in a conductive material for protection against static discharges and static fields. Stresses above those listed under absolute maximum ratings and reversed polarity of power supply damage the sensor. Also, thermopile sensors should not be exposed to direct sunlight
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drdY
Fig. 8: TMP006 board image
or moisture. Be careful when you handle these sensors, and avoid touching their window. Oil from your fingers and dust or dirt may adversely affect the performance of the sensor. In such cases, the optical window (filter and lens) can be cleaned with alcohol and a cotton swab. In summary, being able to read the temperature of an object without even touching it is simply awesome. Thermopile sensors can do just that. No doubt, thermopile infrared temperature sensors provide the best combination of small size, low power and low cost for non-contact temperature measurements. Fortunately, these are not as trivial to implement as traditional contactbased temperature sensors!
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embedded Part 2 of 2
FPGAs in DAtA Centres: Opportunities And Challenges
C V.P. Sampath is a senior member of IEEE and a member of Institution of Engineers India. He is currently working as technical architect at AdeptChips, Bengaluru. He is a regular contributor to national newspapers, IEEE-MAS section, and has published international papers on VLSI and networks
Dr V.N. Ramakrishnan is an associate professor in Department of Micro & Nanoelectronics, VIT University, Vellore
atapult cloud field-programmable gate array (FPGA) architecture accelerates both cloud services (such as search engine) and the Azure cloud platform; Azure is an open, flexible, enterprise-grade cloud computing platform. The reconfigurable Catapult fabric is embedded into each half-rack of 48 servers in the form of a small board with a medium-sized FPGA and local dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) attached to each server. FPGAs used in Catapult servers are central to delivering better Bing results. These can quickly score, filter, rank and measure the relevancy of text and image queries on Bing. Catapult v2 design is more flexible in circumventing traditional data centre structures for machine learning and expands the role of FPGAs as accelerators. It expands the availability of FPGAs, allowing them to be hooked up to a larger number of computing resources. FPGAs are connected to DRAM, central processing unit (CPU) and network switches. These can accelerate local applications, or act as a processing resource in large-scale, deep-learning models. Much like with Bing, FPGAs can be involved in scoring results and training deep-learning models. Catapult v2 design can be used for cloud-based image recognition, natural language processing and other tasks typically associated with machine learning. It could also provide a blueprint for using FPGAs in machine learning installations. Many ma-
chine learning models are driven by graphical processing units (GPUs), but the role of FPGAs is less clear. FPGAs can quickly deliver deep-learning results, but consume too much power if not programmed correctly. These can be reprogrammed to execute specific tasks, but that also makes them one-dimensional. In comparison, GPUs are more flexible and capable of handling several calculations.
Catapult server specification Project Catapult employs an elastic architecture that links FPGAs together in a 6x8
(a) More data
(b) Better models
Result
Input
(c) Powerful GPU accelerators
Fig. 16: Deep learning
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Fig. 17: Drivers for deep learning www.eFYmag.com
embedded • Altera Stratix V GS D5 - 172k ALMs, 2014 M20Ks, 1590 DSPs • 8GB DDR3-1333 • 32MB Configuration flash
• PCIe Gen 3 x8 • 8 lanes to Mini-SAS SFF-8088 connectors • Powered by PCIe slot
Config Flash
Stratix V
PCIe Gen3 x8
4x 20Gbps Torus network
8GB DDR3
Fig. 18: Altera vs PCI
Fig. 19: Catapult uses a network of directly linked FPGAs
ring network that provides 20Gbps of peak bidirectional bandwidth at sub-microsecond latency. It allows FPGAs to share data directly without having to go back through the host servers. It can reprogram the Catapult fabric to adapt to new ranking algorithms without the time and cost of developing custom ASICs or the disruption of having to pull servers from production to install new ASICs—a primary consideration when operating cloud-scale data centres. Microsoft is putting FPGAs on PCI Express networking cards in every new server deployed in its data centres. FPGAs handle compression, encryption, packet inspection and other rapidly changing tasks for data centre networks that in six years have jumped from www.eFYmag.com
Catapult Server SpeCifiCation Server
Specifications
Processor
2x Intel Xeon 12-core Sandy Bridge CPUs
Server memory
64GB DRAM
Disk
2×SSD4×HDD
Gbps to 50Gbps data rates. In comparison, GPUs are typically more power consuming and more difficult to program. Power9 processors use Nvidia’s NVLink to connect to chips like Pascal as well as IBM’s own CAPI to link to FPGAs from Xilinx. Separately, ARM will use its Coherent Hub Interface to link to Xilinx FPGAs and other accelerators. The x86 giant is already showing packages that contain Xeon server and Altera FPGA electronics For You | september 2017
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embedded
Fig. 20: The Accelerator-6D PCIe form-factor accelerator board (Source: Achronix)
Open CPU technology
Open Clou technology d
Open ion virtualisat technology
Open Big Data y g technolo
Fig. 21: SuperVessel platform
Super Marketplace (Online) SuperVessel Cloud Service 1. VM and container service 2. Storage service 3. Network service
4. Accelerator as service 5. Image service
(Online) SuperVessel Big Data and HPC Service 1. Big Data service:
MapReduce (Symphony), SPARK 2. Performance tuning service
OpenPOweR enablement Service 1. X-to-P migration 2. OpenPower new system test service
(Online) Super Class Service 1. On-line video courses 2. Teacher course management 3. User contribution management
(Preparing) Super Project Team Service 1. Project management service 2. DevOps automation
SuperVessel Cloud Infrastructure
Storage
Docker
IBM POweR servers OpenPOweR server FPGA/GPU
Fig. 22: SuperVessel roadmap
die. It aims to put both the chips on a single die as early as next year. Both CPUs and FPGAs require a lot of power. Putting the two in one socket will limit performance to the thermal envelope of the single chip. Microsoft is using Altera FPGAs both in its networking cards and as accelerators for its Bing search. China server vendor Inspur is trying 64
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to ride the GPU train with a server packing 16 graphics processors. The server uses a message passing interface the company created for the Caffe deep learning framework developed at U.C. Berkeley for use with GPU accelerators. FPGAs accelerate the ranking of search terms—a new partition of the overall search job.
A special embedded core makes the FPGA more programmable. China’s Baidu has developed an FPGA board accelerating at least ten low-level tasks. The PCIe 2.0 card uses a Xilinx K7 480t with 4GB memory. Speedster 22i FPGAs built on Intel’s advanced 22nm process technology implement all of interface functions as hardened IP. This results in lower power consumption, reduced programmable logic fabric, faster clock rates, and simpler design since the interface IP is already timing-closed. Achronix Accelerator-6D board is said to offer the highest memory bandwidth for an FPGA-based PCIe form factor board. This PCIe add-in card is well suited for high-speed data centre acceleration applications. The Accelerator-6D packs a Speedster22i HD1000 FPGA with 700,000 lookup tables, which connects to six independent memory controllers to allow up to 192GB of memory and 690Gbps of total memory bandwidth. Accelerator-6D board comes with a power supply, one-year licence for Achronix ACE design tools, and multiple systemlevel reference designs for Ethernet, DDR3 and PCIe operation. Companies are collaborating on the specification for the new Cache Coherent Interconnect for Accelerators (CCIX). A single interconnect technology specification will ensure that processors using different instruction-set architectures (ISAs) can coherently share data with accelerators and enable efficient heterogeneous computing, significantly improving compute efficiency for servers running data centre workloads. CCIX will allow these components to access and process data irrespective of where it resides, without the need for complex programming environments. This will enable both off-load and bump-in-the-wire inline application acceleration while building on existing server ecosystems and form www.eFYmag.com
embedded
Fig. 23: SuperVessel architecture
OpenCL Host Code
OpenCL Kernel Code
Fig. 24: OpenCL flow
factors, thereby lowering software barriers and improving the total costof-ownership of accelerated systems. CCIX will enable a new breed of high-density, flexible platforms for accelerating compute, storage and networking applications. Intel has presented the future of Xeon processors with integrated FPGAs in a single-package socket compatible to the standard Xeon E5 processors. FPGAs provide users with a programmable, highperformance coherent acceleration capability to turbo-charge their critical algorithms. Algorithms can be changed as new workloads emerge and compute demands fluctuate. The new hardware combination could deliver over 20 times performance gains compared to more traditional ASIC-based solutions. www.eFYmag.com
Reprogrammable FPGAs play a central role, enabling a more flexible infrastructure with software-defined allocation and prioritisation of virtualised computing, networking and storage resources. In effect, each FPGA acts as a node controller, for different algorithms to be accelerated across different FPGAs as shared resources in a data centre. FPGAs allow users to tailor compute power to specific workloads or applications. Xilinx has added support for the proposed interface to its 16nm UltraScale+ product plans, combining its programmable logic with High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) and new accelerator interconnect technology for heterogeneous computing. Built on TSMC’s chip-on-wafer-on-substrate process, Xilinx HBM-enabled FPGAs will electronics For You | september 2017
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embedded SDAccel - CPU/GPU Development Experience on FPGAs
Fig. 25: SDAccel environment
improve acceleration capabilities by offering ten times higher memory bandwidth relative to discrete memory channels. HBM technology enables multi-terabit memory bandwidth integrated in a package for the lowest latency. Vineyard employs widely used data analytics frameworks such as
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Spark that make it easier for cloud users to access accelerators. IBM’s SuperVessel cloud platform, built on top of Power/OpenPower architecture technologies, provides remote access to all the ecosystem developers. Built on OpenStack, the cloud enables: 1. Latest infrastructure-as-servic-
es, including PowerKVM, containers and docker services, with big endian and little endian options 2. Big data service through collaboration with IBM big data technology for Hadoop 1.0 and open source technology for Hadoop 2.0 (Spark service) 3. Internet-of-Things application platform service which has successfully incubated several projects in healthcare, smart city, etc 4. Accelerator-as-service (FPGA virtualisation) with the novel marketplace, through collaboration with Altera In SuperVessel platform, FPGAs and GPUs provide acceleration services, while OpenStack manages the whole cloud.
Programming OpenCL flow allows code written in the increasingly popular parallelfriendly GPU-inspired C dialect to be targeted to Altera FPGAs. Xilinx,
www.eFYmag.com
embedded on the other hand, has been showing a broader play. For hardware engineers, Vivado is a comprehensive suite of design, analysis and implementation tools. SDAccel development environment supports OpenCL, C and C++ for software engineers using FPGAs. It enables up to 25 times better performance/watt for data centre application acceleration leveraging FPGAs. High-level synthesis (HLS) provides maximum benefit from the FPGA’s hardware programmability. Altera’s OpenCL implementation creates what one might think of as a GPU on an FPGA—with processing elements analogous to GPU cores that execute software kernels in parallel. This solution is easy to program, as it mimics many elements of a GPU, but doesn’t achieve the same performance and qualityof-results as Xilinx’s HLS-based approach. HLS has been repeatedly shown to deliver hardware architectures on par with what skilled experts can create with hand-coded, manually-optimised RTL. HLS can quickly generate the RTL code, which synthesises down into your chosen architecture. But encapsulating all that power into something that appears to software engineers as a ‘compiler’ is a substantial task. HLS supports several languages (C, C++ and OpenCL), all at the same time, with the same implementation back-end. There are certainly vast application areas that use C and C++ rather than OpenCL. In order to create a ‘software-like’ development and runtime environment, several pieces of the normal FPGA flow had to be improved. First, for testing and debugging code, the normal HLS, logic synthesis, place-and-route, timingclosure and device programming cycle would be far too clunky for the rapid-iteration development software engineers are accustomed to. To get around this, Xilinx created www.eFYmag.com
a software environment that would be comfortable to any Eclipse-using programmer, and then set up their HLS tool to spit out software-executable cycle-accurate versions of the HLS architecture. This allows the ‘accelerated’ algorithm to execute completely in software for debug and testing purposes, without the long logic synthesis and place-androute runs required for the final hardware-based implementation. To get around the run-time issues, Xilinx deployed their partialreconfiguration technology. This allowed the FPGA to be re-configured with a different algorithm without interrupting system execution. This is critical in data centre applications where a server cannot be arbitrarily taken offline in order to process a normal, full-FPGA configuration cycle. Partial reconfiguration allows the FPGA to keep its inputs/outputs live and to keep some baseline communication with the applications processor while it quickly swaps in new acceleration bitstreams. If the software development and deployment environment is good enough to realise even a fraction of that potential in the data centre, it could represent the biggest revolution ever in managing data centre power. Emerging algorithms are gaining traction in a wide variety of pattern-matching jobs, from serving up Facebook news feeds to piloting self-driving cars. FPGAs are enabling new types of servers to execute massive bitwise operations in parallel. Analytics servers can replace hundreds of contemporary servers. Microsoft’s data centres drive services like Cortana and Skype Translator, and the company is constantly looking to upgrade server performance. Microsoft is also working with Intel to implement silicon photonics, which will replace copper wires with fibre optics for faster communication between data centre servers. electronics For You | september 2017
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design
Embracing The New INput
N Vertica Asthana is a technical journalist at EFY
ever has the physical fitness training been so interesting before. From visualising streets of different countries while cycling to adjusting the resistance of the bicycle, virtual reality (VR) is bringing fun and intelligence to physical activities. Not only the VR technology but also the sensors are acting as miniature input devices to the Internet of Things (IoT) today. One such example is LeChal smart shoes, which use sensor technology to act as a navigator for the visually impaired and trekkers, minimising the use of maps and Internet connection on mobiles.
Call for input technology
VR technology for gymming (Image courtesy: httpss-media-cache-ak0. pinimg.com)
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From gesture recognition to speech recognition, several new input techniques have come up as strong competitors to the traditional input technology. Barcode readers, optical mark readers, magnetic ink character recognition readers, optical character recognition readers, magnetic stripe readers, sensors and biometric devices are automatic input devices. Some sensors are passive as these need an external controller to drive them, while some are driven by mechanical principle. Some sensors need digital signal levels, while a few sensors are hybrid in nature, which can be
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used to drive relays or indicators. As we move forward with the technology, there is always a need to keep improving the design part. For instance, biometric devices have evolved over the years to allow authentication based on facial recognition, voice recognition and vascular recognition. Not just biometrics, there are several other updates in the input technology. Improved sensor technology is being used at all levels, whether at industrial scale or day-to-day life, saving time by increasing the pace of work.
Project Soli for wearables T. Anand, co-founder and MD of Knewron Technologies, informs, “The tiny radar chip technology developed by Google in a joint venture is one of the most important upgrades in sensor technology.” The chip houses a Soli sensor and an antenna array in an 8x10mm2 package, which are managed using the haptic movement of fingers virtually. Soli sensors can recognise 3D gestures through fingers and hands. To implement these, manufacturers have used a combination of hardware, software and algorithms. Another benefit of Soli sensors is that these hardly require a large bandwidth and high spatial resolution. Thus, the expense of setting up a high-bandwidth system can be overlooked with this 60GHz ISM-band lowpower device. Due to their low-power, low-bandwidth requirements, Soli sensors can be extensively used in wearables, cars, smartphones and IoT devices. Soli’s accuracy of tracking and sensing fractional finger movements are helping the developers at Google to build a smart development kit too. So, in the near future, you could be able to start a car just through gesture recognition by a low-power input device. The product, jointly developed by Google and Infineon, is going to find many applications once it is released. In fact, a joint venture of LG and Google is already working on a wearable based on this technology. www.eFYmag.com
design
Project Soli sensor (Image courtesy: httpsimage.slidesharecdn.com)
MEMS combo sensors MEMS sensors are the heart of smartphones, enabling smart functions. Niranjan G., general manager (business development), Rohm Semiconductor Singapore, says, “As MEMS sensors consume less power, these are making their way successfully into mobile devices.” MEMS sensors were used for microphone applications too, but it was difficult to give an input that yielded noiseless output. Industrial-grade MEMS sensors have now reached around 70dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). That means voice commands can be captured from a long distance and traced with minimal losses and interference. The higher the SNR ratio, the lower is the noise produced. This year, the market for MEMS sensors is said to touch one billion dollars. Not just in microphones, MEMS sensors are going to play a major role in the advancement of automobiles too. For instance, the ADAS system in cars combines MEMS sensors for different functionalities such as gyroscope, accelerometer and speedometer in one place. Thus, smart use of combo MEMS sensors has simplified large boards with different applications and cut down manufacturing costs. Last year, Tesla announced the use of sensors for its complete electric car solution. Similarly, the market is said to beam up with Lidar sensor technology, which is specially developed for image processing by cameras in automobiles. Lenovo, Motorola and Xiaomi are among the key customers of combo MEMS sensors.
Go wireless with Wi-Sun Smart cities and industries will use the IoT, which will be primarily wireless based. Sensors deployed for various applications will sum up to form a wireless system. So wireless sensors are enablers for the IoT and the Industrial IoT (IIoT). 70
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www.eFYmag.com
design
Wi-Sun (Image courtesy: httpsi.ytimg.com)
Wi-Sun, short for ‘wireless smart ubiquitous network,’ is a leading global industry alliance promoting interoperable wireless standards based solutions for the IoT. It follows certain industrial standards. One among them is IEEE 802.15.4g, which is overall a mesh network that is believed to provide secure and costeffective results. As Wi-Sun protocol provides good coverage in topographical environments and urban and rural areas with the lowest capital investments, it is believed to be an ideal replacement for star networking systems like LoRaWAN and NBIoT. Low-power dissipation makes Wi-Sun advantageous over all the wireless protocols because it has the lowest latency up to 0.02 second. Moreover, a high bandwidth up to 300kbps makes Wi-Sun compatible with multiple devices in longer range simultaneously. The mesh topology makes it robust and reliable of all. Life-cycle of Wi-Sun based mesh networks, including the batteries involved, is said to be 15 years and longer. “Overall, Wi-Sun is proposed as a future technology due to its lowest latency, high bandwidth and low power dissipation,” says Niranjan. Above all, enterprises believe it to be a smarter solution economically.
To sum up Although many upgrades have come up on a large scale that provide more benefits on economic front, there are some challenges before designers and enterprises. Be it battery management for the Wi-Sun system or battery life-cycle, or miniaturisation of sensors, designers face issues from design to testing phase of a product. While packing more components in a smaller package, designers need to consistently focus on power management of the device too. No matter how much the technology advances, cost is always going to be an effective measurement of the utility of a particular design upgrade. Thus, as we head towards artificial intelligence, virtual reality and IoT, cost will be a major concern. www.eFYmag.com
electronics For You | september 2017
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design
Cost Versus Power In LIghtIng And Some Suitable Solutions
E Saurabh Durgapal is working as technology journalist at EFY
ver wondered about the size of a salt grain? A single salt grain measures about three mil, which is a thousandth of an inch. Now, imagine a third of that size, placed on a printed circuit board (PCB). That is the size of the smallest LED available today. People do not regularly go for it, but it is heartening to know that something that small can also brighten something up. That is where the surface-mount device light-emitting diode (SMD LED) module comes into the picture. Now, you have a 0.65mm×0.35mm×0.2mm-size LED on a PCB that can be used for a range of different purposes. Wide viewing angles of about 145° and low power consumption add to the charm.
SMD is going strong
COBs are easier to place on a board. The pins in SMD require precision soldering
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An SMD chip is created from layers of manmade nano-sapphire and gallium crystal substrates. After growing these crystals, these are sliced, layered and bonded to a ceramic base. The chip can be then mounted in the required application. Applications of an SMD include everything from light bulbs to strip lights. One interesting use case would be the indicators on mobile phones. Over the years, SMD LED has continued to improve its luminescence in accordance with Haitz law. Unlike typical LEDs, SMD chips can have two, four or six contacts,
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Haitz’s law For a given wavelength of light, cost per lumen falls by a factor of 10, while the amount of light generated per LED package increases by a factor of 20, every decade.
depending on the number of diodes on the chip that may produce multiple colours. If a chip includes red, green and blue diodes, you have the possibility of creating any colour you want. This has resulted in SMDs becoming the prime choice for DC power applications, mostly due to the ease of use.
COB is another option A COB LED has great advantages of thermal resistance, larger cooling area, better lighting effect and high light efficacy. It is basically an LED built directly on the circuit board. P. Chow Reddy, managing director, Interleaved Technologies, explains, “A COB contains multiple chips within one large wafer. This allows a larger light output and a more even spread of light.” It allows connection of the bare chip to the substrate by conductive or non-conductive adhesive and wire bonding to achieve its electrical connection. Due to fewer components in the LED chip, thermal conductivity is directed at the circuit board and without the traditional LED chip packaging structure. Heat emissions from LED chips are on average 25 per cent lower as compared to conventional LEDs, resulting in high efficiency and lower failure rates. And since the chip is built directly onto the circuit board, it reduces the need for spot soldering. After all, fewer soldering points mean less chances of failure. Need for traditional LED packaging parts and PC lenses has also reduced, resulting in an increase in light visibility range and a decrease in light loss from lenses. COB LEDs are generally larger than SMDs and range from a few millimetres to a few centimetreswww.eFYmag.com
design square. At this small size, soldering these to the board becomes a problem.
MCOBs, a variant An evolution over the conventional COB is the multi-chip-on-board (MCOB), for when one is not enough. It consists of multiple chips integrated into one larger single board. Assembly is cheaper compared to multiple single chips, making these suitable for applications in streetlights and high-bay lights. However, there is still some time before these can be used in smaller applications. Sharp Devices, Europe, recently announced a range of high-performance mini and mega zenigata COB LEDs with greater efficiency and enhanced hot lumen performance. HD6 mini zenigata are 12mm×15mm with an 8mm light-emitting surface with 2500 lumens. BF6 series mega zenigata are sized at 20mm×24mm substrate with 15mm light-emitting surface. Recently released are another two new blue LED chips from Light Avenue in 12V and 24V. Both solutions are sized at 140 mil to increase implementation in tracklights or high-bay lighting. Small-sized chips are clustered and packaged into a light bulb that is advertised as ‘lighting always’ or ‘save power now.’ Some LED manufacturers are able to reach 249 lumens per watt with a 20mA supply. However, this is not the story with bigger sizes. Light efficiency follows an inverse relation with chip size. Additionally, with an increase in current to the LED, efficiency is further reduced.
The DIP status One of the best things with the use of SMD and COB LEDs is that now you can get a much better looking LED display without having to pay as much for it—this brings in the matter of dual-in-line package (DIP) LEDs going out of fashion. DIPs have been around for more than 50 years, and are likely what you think of when you picture an LED. Though easy 74
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Some points to consider Selection of an LED starts like most applications. You need to know what you are going to use it for. For example, in applications where cost is no factor, COB may work well. In areas that require regular application with a balance in costs, SMD might be the one to go for. Some points to keep in mind are: Application area Usage pattern Required photoluminescence Beam angle
to use, these are much less efficient over other available options, and hence the reduced usage. These typically produce about three to four lumens per LED, and individually pull between 0.05 to 0.08 watts, generating somewhere between 35 to 80 lumens per watt, depending on the actual LED. DIPs, in general, do not allow manipulation while manufacturing and are not too versatile.
Advantages with LEDs Longer lifetime due to LEDs being solid-state sources is just one of the benefits. The average LED lasts about 50,000 to 100,000 operating hours, which is two to four times most fluorescent metal halides last, and is more than 40 times the average incandescent bulb lasts. In earlier systems, “We used incandescent bulbs in embedded systems,” says Hrishikesh Kamat, chief executive officer, Shalaka Technologies Pvt Ltd. The problem with incandescent bulbs is that these work on AC, causing a flicker with high-speed camera recordings. “In an application, cameras were used to count the number of items on a white background, and use of incandescent bulbs was causing problems, so we switched to LEDs for lighting.” Low maintenance and low power consumption are LEDs’ other advantages. Heat is a big concern with lighting. Traditional incandescent bulbs turn more than 90 per cent of energy directly to heat. Only 10 per cent of the energy is utilised to gener-
ate light, making these extremely inefficient. Since LEDs consume less power, these can operate effectively on low-voltage electrical systems. And LEDs are generally much safer, in case something goes wrong, adding to safety of the system.
Application areas Application possibilities for COB LEDs encompass a wide range. While these devices could be used for higheroutput general lighting, primary use of COB LEDs would be as solid-state lighting (SSL) replacements for metalhalide lamps in applications such as high-bay lighting, streetlights and highoutput track lights and downlights. Ten times increase in lighting area with COBs helps in avoiding uncomfortable glare. Hence, these could be used in study lamps, but that would be possible only after reduction in their manufacturing costs. Reddy adds, “COBs have a wider beam angle, allowing a larger area to be covered and therefore are ideal for functional lighting.” SMDs, however, have been in business for a long time and are common among designers. Application areas range from regular LED bulbs being used in homes to indicators in electronic devices. “These are used more often in the latest general-purpose LED lighting solutions,” adds Reddy.
The wonders of light LED lighting allows for tremendous innovation in optical effects. Tiny LED sources can be discretely integrated with creative and decorative shrouds to produce a bunch of effects. A direct-view optic can create a feeling of brilliance, whereas an indirect or grazing light effect produces a sense of heightened play of shadows and texture. A diffused luminous surface also acts as a background for graphic designs. The light itself can take on colours as warm as fire to as cool as ice. One interesting scenario could be your glass window moonlighting as an organic light source. www.eFYmag.com
test & measurement
Making Academia Entrepreneurial With T&M EquipMEnT
S Vertica Asthana is a technical journalist at EFY
olaikutty Dhanabal, academic manager with National Instruments, recalls his time as a student when his batchmates had to frequently visit IIT Madras to use a 1GHz high-speed oscilloscope for their project as their institute lacked the one. Taking note of such requirements, test and measurement (T&M) manufacturers have ventured into the academic field to provide solutions for future designers and researchers. They aim to make test and measurement instruments familiar in all the government institutes, private as well as deemed colleges. Ultimately, it is the practical work and proper testing that add value to any research project.
Making headway with upgrades
USB modular equipment (Image courtesy: www. mcd-elektronik. com)
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T&M instruments are used in different disciplines of engineering and research. These also find wide applications in biotechnology. Instruments like handheld multimeters, benchtop multimeters, AC power supplies, DC power supplies, analogue and digital oscilloscopes, LCR meters and frequency counters are widely used. However, T&M equipment for research purposes are very domain-focused, say, RF-wireless, microwave, photonics, semiconductors and the like. While there are many instruments, industry experts suggest use of upgraded ones relevant to the industry needs. This will not only give students hands-on experience in new test machines but also make them up-to-date with industry requirements. For instance, portable equipment are believed to replace the existing benchtop products. Many T&M providers have started imparting training at academic institutions to provide students with elementary knowledge about the industry fundamentals. And as the industry advances to Industry 4.0, institutes are also preparing the students as future designers by providing them industry training early in the
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semester. This would accelerate productivity and discovery as students get practical exposure to the theory included in the course.
USB modular device replacing the conventional equipment There are projects that students need to manage irrespective of the location. In such situations, a USB portable device comes handy as it is handheld and easier to use than conventional equipment. The concept is to connect USB modular devices like oscilloscopes, function generators, waveform generators, power supplies and digital multimeters with one single system to download the algorithm on the system and access it anywhere. Some manufacturers provide all-in-one USB oscilloscope, multimeter and workstation. USB-powered T&M equipment are taking the market by storm as these cost less than conventional test equipment. Those featuring USB 3.0 incorporate an increased number of logic gates (five million), which allows them to give highly accurate results and serve multiple functions. Above all, USB modular equipment reduce power consumption to a large extent. These work more like a smart mobile that can be used continuously and left in working condition for more number of days till the testing completes. Conventional equipment like AC power supplies start emitting a large amount of heat and may get damaged down the lane if run for up to six hours a day. A design engineer from a reputed LED light manufacturing firm cites the incidence of an AC power supply from a reputed manufacturing source breaking down—despite it having a proper fan ventilation in-built—when it was kept on for an hour a day regularly. Other upgrades in T&M equipment for academia include improved bitrate of oscilloscopes, whether USB modular or benchtop. The sample rate has rescaled to 10MSa/s and the resolution is now 12 bits. www.eFYmag.com
test & biotech measurement Test and measurement implanted during a routine cathfor the IoTprocedure. It requires eterisation no leads batteries, In this eraorofimplanted the Internet of Things and data to aintelligence, secure Webmost (IoT)sends and artificial platform. Theare sensor designed applications cloudisbased, open, to improve the quality of life And and modular and programmable. medical outcomes, as lower the industry majors as arewell working on costs for those who suffer from the smart city project as part of Digital India initiative. Wireless equipment are now all-in-one solutions that use connectivity formats such as ZigBee, Bluetooth Low Energy, WiMAX and GPRS/EDGE/GSM. The bandwidth of wireless test equipment has increased from 1Mbps to 10Gbps. The more the bandwidth, the fewer the chances of data loss and higher the chances of data retention. The functioning is in Fig. Endotronix health monitoringthe real5:time, so itwireless is easy to capture data and signals. Moreover, as the speed is high, continuous buffering is possible without loss. Results are displayed in PDF and JPEG formats. Students working on smart-city projects need real-time data and extensive test and measurement techniques to get near-perfect results. Smartphone apps help them directly derive data from the test equipment and6:prepare reports in real time. Fig. Golden Gopher Magnetic Biosensing
• www.lulu.com • www.magzter.com • Createspace.com • www.readwhere.com
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February september2017 2017| |electronics electronicsFor Foryou You
Portable analysers congestivespectrum heart failure and other and logic analysers cardiac ailments.
Golden spectrum Gopher Magnetic Traditional analysers Biosensing system.have This also portable, and logic analysers been low-cost with and easy-to-use device replaced portable equipment, detectsare biomarkers in human serum which easily accessible to reand urine,and as well as heavy metals searchers students. in lake water.says Known Z-lab, this Dhanabal thatas accessing highly-sensitive now in FM radio waves, sensor findingiserrors development forthe smaller, more and portthem, changing algorithms able models. coding was never better before Electronic Aspirin. For people portable equipment. who suffer from migraines, clusComeback analogue ter headachesofand other causes of oscilloscopes chronic, excruciating head or facial pain, the ‘take two aspirins and call “Although educational institutes are me in the morning’ method is usemoving towards smarter approach, less. Doctors analogue have longoscilloscopes associated conventional the not most chronic are yetsevere, obsolete,” saysforms Man-of headache with sphenopalatine ganish Joshi, deputy CEO at Scientech glion (SPG), a facial nerve bundle, Technology. butWhile have not yetmanufacturers found a treatment a few that has a long-term effect on SPG. have ceased upgrading it, there are Electronic Aspirin is aup, patientstriking changes coming like powered toolnow for blocking TFT displays showingSPG voltage/ signals at thetime/division. first sign of a Also, headdivision and ache, and involves the of permanent the working frequency oscilloimplanthas of amore small nerve-stimulating scopes than doubled the device in20MHz. the upper gum on the side existing of the headMurali normally affected Suman Krishnan, a by headache. Lead tipfrom of the research associate IITimplant Delhi, system connects with theengineering SPG bundle, and computer science Analyser for optical fibre when a patient senses thethey onset department, informs that use technology a headache, he or with she places aofdigital oscilloscope voltage/ a handheld remote on timing analysis and controller USB interface Neeraj Dhawan, owner of Invas the cheek to the implant. with PC fornearest data acquisition and Technologies, shares that as the Resultingand signals stimulate SPG analysis for current measuregovernment is pushing the installation nervesIIT and block ment. Delhi labpain-causing is an interdisciof optical fibre network across the neurotransmitters. plinary lab with both electronic and country, research institutes are also Google smart contact lenses. mechanical equipment. training their students with test equipFig. 7: Electronic Aspirin the performance Google has created smart contact ment for measuring To sum up lenses made for people and capability of optical fibres. whoexperts suffer expect from diabetes Chromatic dispersion analyser In the future, to have and those who is one such instrument that tests a library for equipment assimwell. It ply wear The optical fibre channels in parallel. would be similar to glasses. a book-library is be engineered Institutes like IIT Kharagpur Soft are contact lenswhere the technology students will able to electronics take the tears in a completely focused on opticalencapsulates fibre borrow an to equipment and return Sensor detects person’s eye and measure test. Such institutes have tie-ups it after their work completes. It is glucose in tears glucose concept. levels. For people with the government to carryChip outand antenna an out-of-the-box Also, receive power and who wear glasses, fibre quality tests in their laboratory. students will have a forum tothe dissend information would be engineered Chromatic dispersion analyser cuss these lens equipment. This smart to what the companies has been designed to test whether approach will motivate students and is help ‘to restore the eye’s 100Gbps capacity can be carried in a researcherssay and them develop autofocus.’ Fig. 8: Google’s smart lenses single channel ofcontact optical fibre. skillset fornatural the industry. www.eFymag.com www.eFYmag.com
InnovatIon
LeChal: Hi-tech Shoes That Show the Route
Paromik Chakraborty is a technical journalist at EFY
The LeChal package
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T
years in between were utilised for development, prototyping and upgradations to bring out what LeChal is today.
How a thought took shape
Being a hardware product start-up, Ducere Technologies faced challenges different from software developers and service providers, in addition to the pressure of venturing into an unexplored field. The hardware ecosystem is not conducive for startups in India. So, putting together a team of people with compatible talent and ready to work for a startup project took much effort. Adding to the troubles was limited funding. The project was bootstrapped until it received angel funds. Despite all these hardships, the company has grown to become 120-employee strong today and drives sales through its own website as well as online and offline retail partners.
echnology is beautiful, especially when it comes to the aid of the differently abled. For instance, with LeChal, visually impaired people can travel anywhere without guidance from others. LeChal is basically a smart shoe that harnesses the visually challenged’s heightened senses of touch. It enables them to travel by themselves with the help of vibrational patterns on their feet. This haptic-driven smart shoe has been produced by Secunderabadbased Ducere Technologies.
Back in 2012, Krispian Lawrence and Anirudh Sharma, two tinkerers with the common objective to help the visually challenged, came up with the idea of a smart shoe. The fact that the visually challenged are gifted with heightened senses of touch and hearing became their basis for designing something that could intuitively guide the user through gentle vibratory feedback by connecting to the directions set on a map. The thought process started in May 2012. In July of the same year, Sharma went ahead for further education, while Lawrence drove the project. The product was ready in 2016 and called ‘LeChal.’ “LeChal as a concept came about as a solution to allowing one’s senses to be utilised in the most efficient way. The thought led to identifying how to help the visually impaired to navigate in a way that their sense of touch (walking stick) or their sense of hearing (audio guidance) are not compromised,” explains Lawrence. The first shipment of the product was made in July 2016. The four
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Against all odds
How LeChal works Before getting into the basics of LeChal, let’s first explain in simple words how haptic technologies work. Haptic technologies take data from a source and use tactile (touch-based) sensors to respond to it in the form of vibrations or touch-based sensations on the user. LeChal follows this basic principle to work. LeChal has three iterations: the complete shoe form, a pair of insoles with a pair of sensor pods, and only the pods. The pods contain the main haptic sensors. These can either be buckled to the existing shoe-laces of the user or inserted into the insoles provided by LeChal that replace the existing insoles of the user’s shoes. The sensors connect to the user’s smartphone via Bluetooth. Users need to download the LeChal mobile application on their smartphone or tablet. The application provides a GPS (map) interface to set the desired destination via touchscreen or even via voice command, powered by the LeChal assist www.eFYmag.com
InnovatIon
Team LeChal
service. It connects to the Bluetoothlinked pods and relays data to generate haptic sensations. The pods feed the navigation data in real time as the user starts travelling, and send signals in the form of various vibratory patterns to indicate directions of travel. For example, gentle vibrations on the left leg imply left turn and vibrations on the right leg imply right turn. Vibration patterns can be customised as per the convenience of the user. Most importantly, maps can be downloaded and saved to the phone or tablet before use and the connection is Bluetooth driven (as mentioned before), so there is no
problem of poor network connectivity or data unavailability.
Expanding horizons Initially aimed for the visually challenged, LeChal is finding other consumers as well. Lawrence states, “At this point, along with the visually challenged, our product has proven to be appealing to people who travel a lot. Fitness enthusiasts also show a keen interest in the product because of the extremely accurate measurement of fitness metrics. Last but not the least, we have managed to captivate the imagination of technophiles as well.” The product has caught the eyes of enterprises also, collaborating
What you get with LeChal 1. Intuitive and instinctive vibration-based direction indication 2. Hands-free and heads up, i.e., no need to look at your phone for directions 3. Offline activity keeps data inconsistency troubles away 4. Measurement of fitness metrics like step count, calorie count and distance count 5. Easy-to-use mobile application, simple installation 6. Up to 15 days service with single-time charging
with brands like Netherlands-based Hi Tec., and won acclaims and awards at global level. Presently, there are 24 patents on trademark applications for the product. Plans are afoot to improve LeChal in terms of comfort of use, features and functionality.
Where to find it
How LeChal works
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Priced at ` 6999, LeChal can be purchased from the company’s official website. It is also available on e-commerce stores like Amazon and retail stations like Croma. According to the company, over 10,000 units have been sold till now. So, take a break from constantly looking at your phone’s screen to know which way to go. After all, products like LeChal are eyes to your feet. www.eFYmag.com
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IIoT To PCB LayouT: Open Source Has More Than What You Need! The following software, besides other, can be found in the DVD accompanying EFY Plus edition of this magazine TinyCAD 2.8
long. It combines the benefits of security, speed and latest technology together in one frame. Mozilla Thunderbird is easy as it can be accessed after the mail wizard setup is installed. It is loaded with features like one-click access book, a reminder attachment, multiple-channel chat and personalised e-mail address.
TinyCAD is a handy PCB layout and circuit schematic tool with a vast library of components. It lets you create your own customised symbols too. TinyCAD is similar to all the other PCB software that are not open source. It provides you facilities ranging from building symbols to adding texts and annotations, buses and power signals, and symbol attributes to editing of drawings. Its newer version, 2.8, is even better with all new upgrades.
AdvancedHMI This easy-to-use software lets you create human-machine interfaces (HMIs) that are not possible with other off-the-shelf packages. It requires popular Visual Studio and is based on .NET framework. The best part of this freeware is that the user need not know the complicated coding for its execution as it has a drag-and-drop option. It is SCADA capable, and supports Omron and Allen Bradley DF1 RS232 drivers. It is tested on Mono on Linux, and even works on Raspberry Pi.
Shotcut Shotcut video editing software supports various kinds of video and audio formats. It supports native editing (no import required), multiformat timelines, resolutions and
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iDempiere
frame-rates in the same project. It is used for screen, webcam and audio capture too. It supports resolutions up to 4k and capture from X11 screen and Windows DirectShow devices. It also supports drag-n-drop of assets from file manager.
Thunderbird There are several e-mail applications available online, but Mozilla Thunderbird is one of its kind and user-friendly software used since
Important The September DVD also contains a 15-day trial version of the full package of Altium 2017. So professionals can get hands-on experience of the software upgrade. Before you enjoy the application, don’t miss its software review in this edition!
It is an open source ERP software for enterprises. Thus, customer relationship management and supply chain management are its key elements. With enhanced features, iDempiere supports multiple tenants, multiple organisations, multiple language support, multiple currencies and multiple account schemas. It consists of a Java-based server that allows management of entities, validation rules, windows, formats and other customised applications without a new Java code.
LibrePlan 1.4 This free collaborative tool for project management is designed to meet the needs of organisational complexities and production processes. It lets users plan, monitor, control and organise tasks and projects. Its rich web interface provides a desktop-like user experience.
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AggreGate SCADA: An Open Source IoT Platform
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n this era of the Internet of Things (IoT), an open source data acquisition and highlevel supervisory management SCADA system packaged with IoT is a win-win solution for designers. AggreGate SCADA is such an IoT platform that employs networking technology of reigning industry standards.
Features of AggreGate SCADA The IoT and automation are used for centralised data collection and human-machine interface (HMI) handling. HMIs can be launched on Linux, Windows PC and web browsers, making AggreGate SCADA a user-friendly open source freeware. In addition, AggreGate SCADA comes with a bunch of drivers meant for data-collection and HMI vector images. It has a large automation and control symbol library, where symbols are listed in SVG format. AggreGate SCADA has all the tools for production, process control and planning that can be customised to the users’ requirements. The tools include models, expressions, queries and classes. These are used to calculate metrics, define KPI formulae for process control, execute SQLs like requests and maintain the large production data, respectively. Thus, manufacturing and equipment tracking is possible with AggreGate SCADA. It is a smart SCADA system that not only provides data acquisition for manufacturing processes but also helps in IT infrastructure management. www.efymag.com
Fig. 1: Pump Library components (Image courtesy: http://aggregate.tibbo.com)
Fig. 2: Electrical Library components (Image courtesy: http://aggregate.tibbo.com)
Boon for production/process engineers Designers not only get the benefit of controlling, monitoring and configuring different electronic devices but also accumulating the data in the cloud, which can be accessible to all users. As discussed earlier, AggreGate SCADA is an IoT based platform and thus it has all the features required in a fourth-generation SCADA. It
can run on any embedded system as the system operates on Linux and is based on Java platform. It is a boon to manufacturers for process control, telemetry, test and measurement, and, above all, the Industrial IoT (IIoT) and home automation. It can prove to be a backbone for remote monitoring of devices and networking of systems. Be it IoT application to sensor network service or physical access control to building automation, and
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Fig. 3: Remote monitoring and substations automation (Image courtesy: http://aggregate.tibbo.com)
Fig. 4: Home automation system (Image courtesy: http://aggregate.tibbo.com)
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dvd Gate SCADA is thus a boon to the growing smart grid industry and its demands. Smart city is a dream project for many countries where the manual system is converted into automated system. Surveillance and security systems and efficient transportation are the areas where AggreGate SCADA is finding wide usage. It is also being used for wastewater management systems. Thus, AggreGate SCADA is finding use in diverse fields.
To conclude
Fig. 5: HMI operator dashboard (Image courtesy: http://aggregate.tibbo.com)
GPS monitoring to digital signage, AggreGate SCADA is on its way to create a legacy.
Applications AggreGate SCADA has a variety of features including monitoring of servers, applications, VoIP, charting, advanced alert system and
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plugin SDK. In power engineering, as transmission and distribution get complicated due to increasing demand for power, there is a dire need for system control and remote monitoring, analysis, real-time visualisation, supervision of power generation and many more features. Aggre-
AggreGate SCADA provides a wider perspective to designers and manufacturers in all the environments. Thus, fields ranging from petrochemical to agriculture, government, IT infrastructure management, power engineering, mining, centralised cooling management systems, nuclear reactors and telecom are all using AggreGate SCADA.
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Design Smartly With Altium 2017
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ltium is one of the most popular design software worldwide. With its large component libraries and smart features, it outshines all its rival software. Year after year, the software keeps updating. Here we focus on the latest version, Altium 2017.
What is new Altium is an all-in-one comprehensive software with a seamless exchange of design data. Be it schematic capture to PCB layout, or viewing MCAD constraints to providing a natural electronics workflow, Altium does it all. It adopts a much more efficient approach with user-defined enhancement.
high noise and copper peeling off. Altium 2017 helps to overcome this issue by pointing out high-voltage areas or prohibited zones known as keep-out areas during designing. Besides, it has upgraded PCB routing.
Active routing Whether the layout is single-layered, double-layered or multilayered, routing is now easy with Altium 2017’s active routing feature. From a single track to multiple tracks, all can be managed with a single click. Just select the nets and map-out the intended routing area. The tool not only saves time but also increases
Object-specific keep-outs Designers face a lot of problems in routing and spacing between components. For instance, if high-voltage paths are not taken care of during design, these can cause damage to the circuit. Designers need to ensure that these have enough creepage and clearance distance from other tracks and components. To explain, let’s consider the case of an LED driver manufacturing firm, where a designer designed a PCB without keeping in mind voltage differences across each point. During high-voltage test, the circuit failed with a iV
the efficiency greatly. Designers can produce multilayer boards with highclass routing.
Track glossing The glossy feature lets designers clean up the routing segments and areas, giving the best finish to the end-product. It acts like an optimisation tool for quality and length of every net on the PCB, allowing automated alignment of routing paths.
Dynamic components/ net selection Designers can move, cut, paste or select any object in the layout easily. Earlier, during these functions, all the components used to get selected, whether required or not.
Dynamic copper
Fig. 1: Object-specific keep-outs (Image courtesy: https://i.ytimg.com)
This feature helps designers to maintain the copper volume around components, holes and vias as per the standard value of manufacturing. It easily combines copper shapes as per the layout requirement. Thus, judicial use of copper helps designers and manufacturers to save costs on copper usage.
Back drilling
Fig. 2: Active routing (Image courtesy: https://i.ytimg.com)
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Fig. 3: Back drilling (Image courtesy: https://i.ytimg.com)
Fig. 4: Auto-cross probing (Image courtesy: www.altium.com)
layout. Even if the designer creates a design with perfection, disturbances caused due to vias, copper pads, tracks and component placement lead to improper results in PCBs designed for high-speed applications. Backdrilling feature in Altium 2017 helps designers to automatically skip vias that may create issues during design in a particular segment of the PCB.
Auto-cross probing Designers can quickly navigate between the PCB layout and the schematic in a single window, which helps them to net-list the components, nets and pins of components as well. www.eFYmag.com
Last but not the least With its new powerful features, Altium 2017 aims to reduce the stress on designers while giving a cost-effective solution to manufacturers. It provides a unified environment for schematic, PCB and documentation. Besides, it provides a PCB development platform featuring MCAD DNA with a single database providing both electrical and mechanical data. Above all, 3D vision gives a realistic view of multi-model support, component placement, clearance checking and rigid-flex design. Sourcing of components from the supplier is possible in one go using the Altium Library or vault. There is also a design history, which details differences between the existing and previous versions of Altium. electronics For You plus | september 2017
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IoT With IoTivity
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he Internet of Things (IoT) is taking charge of the industry and our day-to-day lives. Interconnectivity between devices is simplifying, making networking a household phenomenon. For instance, a person staying abroad can monitor the safety of his elderly parents back home in India by remotely accessing and operating the security devices in his house—all thanks to the IoT connectivity. Undoubtedly, there are millions of such vast networks that require a platform to connect and understand the architecture of connectivity. IoTivity is one such open source, free software that enables seamless device-to-device connectivity for the IoT.
Fig. 1: Expansion into multiple domains (Image courtesy: https://i.ytimg.com)
IoTivity roadmap and designer IoTivity works on the Ubuntu LTS version 12.04 OS for stack building. Its source codes are extracted from Git management software. The software uses Doxygen documentation tool to generate API documentation. IoTivity provides a common IoT platform for all fields, especially industrial and automotive. This is made possible by establishing new communication protocols for connectivity across multiple transports. IoTivity provides a common platform not only for networking but also for system security. A good API eases software development by providing the developer with all the building blocks. IoTivity framework APIs help developers access it in different languages and at multiple operating systems. This framework is helpful in discovery of devices even if these are placed remotely. IoTivity data transmission supports information exchange and data management to support colwww.efymag.com
Fig. 2: Simulating different OIC resources (Image courtesy: https://wiki.iotivity.org)
lection, storage and analysis of data from any source.
IoTivity tools and implementation IoTivity is an Eclipse plugin tool designed to work on top of existing protocols such as Bluetooth, ZigBee, Z-wave and Wi-Fi Direct. Its framework includes hardware, OS, C++ API, C API, more bindings and highlevel services. IoTivity implements OIC security called secure resource manager, which has two main functions. In steady state operation, SRM filters resource requests, granting or denying based on configurable policies. Also, it manages security related services such as maintaining credentials, and
loading and storing access control lists. At high level, SRM also carries out request filtering and secure virtual processes. IoTivity is largely dependent on service provider and client controller perspectives. Service provider perspective. The files for IoTivity can be simulated using RAML files. RAML files help in managing the API lifecycle from design to sharing. There are several graphical user interfaces provided for creation of OCF resources. IoTivity not only manages creation and deletion of simulated sources but also checks request handling and notifications. The IoTivity software handles the requests received
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efy dvd internet of things The system solution to mitiSPI Serial Flash gating something like this is to Main Storing Device Controller implement secure boot for the FW main PLC CPU. This is a way of authenticating the firmware and only accepting software that has a valid Powerdigital signature. Depending on MAXQ1050 Management the requirements, you could also IC encrypt the firmware. Fig. 6: Secure boot of the main PLC CPU Security processing demands can easily overwhelm the MIPS of a traditional PLC CPU or even encryption key is of prime considcreate latency issues. This is best eration in many applications, since done by off-loading the security there is no security once the key functions to a low-cost, off-theis compromised. shelf secure microprocessor that is To properly address physical built for these functions, as shown security, several issues must be in Fig. 6. The system shown here considered. These include a physical uses an external secure micropromechanism for generating random cessor to validate the firmware’s keys, a physical design that prevents digital signature. covert electronic interception of a All the above examples use key that is being communicated keys to enable authentication, between authorised agents, and a but this raises the question of key secureperspectives method of storing a key that Fig. 3: Block diagram of service provider and client controller (Image courtesy: https://wiki.iotivity.org/iotivity_simulator) protection. Physical security of an protects against clandestine physical
and sent by the clients appropriately, sending reply to probing. all. It has SDK supand mechanical portVarious for Javasecure API on Linux platform. key-storage devicClient controller perspective. es provide system designers a host The client controller ofpackage IoTivof features that rangetool from ity simulates the functionality of design to external-sensor interfaces OCF client. It helps the user to find and internal circuit architectures. interested types in the given network These requirements were developed so resources can be changed. It by that American military in the form of also supports sending of automatic FIPS 140 standard, and many chip requests (GET/PUT/POST) to remote vendors provide very comprehensive resources with the help of RAML tamper-proof capabilities that canfile. be The usedsimulator in ICSes. helps the user to test the implementation by simulating Thedevices futurebefore of thepurchasing IoT security real them. There may be other approaches to To wrap up security as well, and as you begin to Features likeimportant cross-platform suprealise how security is in port, uniformfactories and easy-to-use APIs, a connected environment, open standards, support for multiple you will eventually coalesce around connectivity types and extensible a few approaches. support protocols make IoTivity The IIoT in manufacturing is a hard-to-resist tool. It provides seamin high demand, and is a growing less device-to-device connection trend. Security will also eventually throughout physical media, grow to cover vulnerabilities,applicabut tion layersis and transports. the need already here.
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smart world
88 Smart PoS To Accept Payments Anywhere, Anytime
91 Cut Electricity Wastage With PIR Sensors
92 RoI With Retrofit LED Tubelights
(Image courtesy: flickr)
smart POs: On-The-Go Money-Maker
These machines work wirelessly with minimal hardware setup, saving you space and setup costs
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usinesses are going flexible with the upheaval of cashless transactions. Demonetisation has further expanded this transition, driving a great surge in the usage of swipe machines and e-wallets. Smart point-of-sale (POS) or mobile POS (mPOS) machines are retailers’ best friends in light of the recent events. Here are a few reasons why enterprises are using smart POS devices to manage their transactions.
Flexible for any business Traditional POS devices involve a lot of hardware installation and maintenance hassles. Setting up a 88
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computer, connecting the devices and upgrading the software is not only time- and space-consuming but also requires external technical service. Enterprises also need to invest in training the staff to handle the cash counter. In nutshell, online enterprises and businesses without a proper payment collection station cannot afford a POS system. That’s where mPOS machines provide a big advantage. These give the cash counters a chance to work wirelessly with minimal hardware setup (a small card reader hardware, a smartphone and a GPRS or Wi-Fi connection). This also implies less
cost in terms of space requirement, setup and external help. Smart POS machines are user-friendly, requiring little to no effort in getting the assigned person started with the technology. So if you move your office to a new location, you do not have to worry about holding off your POS services until the setup and installation completes. Smart POS machines can work anywhere at any time as long as network connectivity is available—be it through Wi-Fi or GSM (via SIM card). That means mPOS devices can be incorporated in any form of business. For example, UK-based Spire www.eFYmag.com
smart world Payments cites an inspiring story of a Chennai-based professional taxi driver who is using the company’s mPOS system for payment collections on the go. Due to the traffic conditions and unanticipated long trips, cash payment becomes a hassle for passengers. The convenience of cashless payment through the smart POS device has helped the taxi driver grow his business, with regular passengers making wholeday or long-trip bookings. Reportedly, the man saw a 15 per cent increase in his revenues. What’s more, he is now getting referral international bookings as well. National e-commerce giants like Jabong, Flipkart and Myntra have incorporated mPOS terminals into their services to offer customers the convenience of card on delivery— payment through card at the time of delivery.
Saves great costs Traditional POS machines cost a lot—not just because of the POS machine itself but all the other accessories required such as a control device (computer), barcode scanners and wiring, dedicated setup space and more. Smart POS devices eliminate most of the hardware part (wiring and scanners) through mobile apps, thereby saving a great deal of the cost. An mPOS machine, on an average, costs between ` 8000 and ` 18,000, which is less than the traditional POS setup’s. Moreover, traditional systems often have a lot of associated costs including monthly maintenance cost, performance charges and duplicate statements cost. Much of these costs is greatly reduced with the use of smart POS devices. A traditional POS machine connected via PSTN (telephone network) or desktop GPRS may tax the user a total of ` 1200 to ` 2000 including different service charges, while a smart POS requires just around ` 400 as a commitment charge with no other costs. Addition90
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ally, smart POS machines remove the burden of duplicate transaction download costs, which users may have to pay with many POS systems.
Smart customer service At the end of the day, the most important aspect of any sales business is customer satisfaction and the likelihood of repeat business. Customer service levels need to be impeccable and smart POS systems fit the bill. These systems enable businesses to serve their customers on the go. While accepting debit or credit cards like the traditional POS machines, mPOS systems also allow vendors to accept payments via ewallets, UPI, net banking and other e-payment methods. On top of that, there is the gift of inbuilt tools and data intelligence systems. Enterprises can on-the-spot collect customer data and preferences pattern, which can be utilised for future campaigns. Field-users can manage orders, instantly search product prices through quick databases, conduct survey in-situ and so on. Decision-makers can devise business strategies using all the collected data to enhance their customer reach. Their customerfacing team can become an impromptu sales promoter through product recommendations, customer engagement and feedbacks. Most importantly, all this data is pushed to the cloud, so it can be accessed anytime, anywhere. POS solution provider, Paynear Solutions, shares a customer story where a national tours and travels company faced difficulty in collecting cash and managing payments across their branches. The mPOS solution from Paynear provided them with a solid platform for payment management and customer data storage. The solution was employed by the company in its 4000 branches across the country. The greatly improved and swift payment collection process helped the company
increase its customer retention rate and get newer customer base at national scale.
Automatic transactions Businesses have struggled with the hassles of maintaining a separate bank account for traditional POS machines and associated service fees. Smart POS systems relieve the users of such compulsions by providing them the freedom of using their existing bank accounts. The transaction is automatic and gets almost instantly credited to the merchant’s account.
Additional income Smart POS systems not only increase revenues through customer satisfaction but these also give businesses the opportunity to provide some value-added services. In addition to accepting or storing payments, smart POS devices open the window to additional profits through recharges, ticket bookings, domestic money transfer or even mini-ATM services where some profit is credited to the POS machine owner’s account for allowing customers to use the machine as an ATM. Paynear shares another example of a leading national mobile service provider in Kerala, which, as a pilot project, implemented Paynear’s mPOS solution after demonetisation. Not only did the company exponentially increase its customer satisfaction and loyalty rate through convenient cashless transactions, it greatly increased its revenue by providing customers the service of a mini-ATM with the mPOS machine. The device was implemented in 170 outlets nationally and became an exemplary service during trying circ*mstances.
Digital is safer and greener Paperless is one of the most urged initiatives towards going green. Smarter businesses tend to promote paperless transactions by resorting to only digital means for their www.eFYmag.com
smart world receipts and payments. Both users and customers are instantly notified of their transactions digitally over their smartphones. The advantage lies in the fact that enterprises can download any transaction receipt copy from the cloud at any time for no cost. Consequently, the lesser the involvement of physical paperwork, the safer and the easier to manage the transactions. Carrying and maintaining a large amount of cash raises security concerns. Additionally, keeping a track of all transactions on paper becomes very difficult. Digital management and transaction omits all such troubles, keeping a safe, organised and well-recorded track of all your money. —Paromik Chakraborty, technical journalist, EFY
PIR Sensors To Reduce Electricity Wastage PIR sensors automatically turn off electric appliances when not in use
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t’s eight o’clock at night. Everyone has left for the day. Still, you see all the lights and electric appliances running in your office. Putting up signs like “last person to leave turns off the lights” is read and followed by only a handful. Keeping a staff just for turning off the appliances when not in use is also not a cost-effective solution. So how to get around it? Energy-efficient lighting like light-emitting diodes (LEDs), intelligent technologies www.eFYmag.com
like smart control and automation, and more of the likes have been the talk of the town for a while. There is one more very competent candidate in this mission of energy savings that goes by the name of passive infrared (PIR) motion sensors. Be it a small office or a large industrial plant, a substantial portion of the whole floor remains vacant throughout the day while the appliances keep running, wasting a great deal of energy. PIR sensors detect movements in an area based on the infrared heat signatures emitted by warm bodies. Depending on the infrared reading, appliances are switched on or off. Slash your monthly electricity bill. Use of PIR motion sensors in your office space can cut your electricity bill by up to 30 per cent, depending on factors like the area covered, the frequency of electricity usage in the covered area, load devices that the sensor is connected to and so on. PIR sensors themselves draw less than one watt of power per hour in idle situation, so their own electricity consumption does not impact the bill at all. PIR sensor manufacturers and dealers in the Indian market claim a cost saving of up to 30 per cent if PIR sensors are used properly for electric appliances in offices. For instance, lights or fans in meeting rooms, conference halls, washrooms or other areas keep running even when the rooms are unoccupied. These are areas where major savings can be achieved. According to Delhi-based Highly Components Electronics, if a 40W tubelight used in a corridor runs for 12 hours a day, its operating time can be reduced to just three hours. Considering the average electricity cost of ` 4.5 per unit consumed, monthly cost of running one such tubelight can be cut down from ` 64 to ` 16, i.e., a monthly saving of ` 48 per tubelight. For instance, Hyderabad-based Wells Fargo India Solutions has
An outdoor bulb controlled by a PIR sesnsor (Image courtesy: Wikimedia Commons)
been able to cut energy usage in its unoccupied zones by 10 per cent and overall energy consumption by 30 per cent using Wipro Lighting’s sensors. The solution included occupancy detector installation and personalised lighting control among others. A green premise and quick ROI. Cost cutting using PIR sensors implies a quick return on investment. Swati Deshpande, CEO of Shriyuj Electro Controls, says, “On an average, it will take up to one year to get a return on investment in PIR sensors for lighting. It however, depends on a few factors like the area of your office space, the sitting arrangement, the number of sensors required and so on.” The technology also drives enterprises towards an environment-friendly foundation. Lower electricity wastage results in lower carbon gas emission, reducing a company’s carbon footprint significantly. Swati shares an elaborate case study in this aspect. Belgium-based Bekaert, a steel-wire transformation and coatings manufacturer, was electronics For You | september 2017
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smart world looking to cut down its electricity consumption and build a green office environment at its India branch. Shriyuj, a solutions provider formerly known as Varad Electro Systems, went ahead with a mix of motion/occupancy sensors, timer-based controls and a few more lighting automation solutions. The setup allowed electricity usage control based on holidays and work-hours. Initially installed to control lighting, the application was upgraded to include AC controls as well. As a result, the company achieved savings of ` 25,000 in the first month’s electricity bill, which increased up to ` 47,000 in the fifth month. Bekaert reported up to 25 per cent electricity savings throughout the year, which cut down the costs by nearly ` 380,000 in one year. Additionally, reduced electricity consumption cut down carbon dioxide emission by 24 tonnes. Intelligent usage only for the people. Motion sensors are used to switch on power only when a human is detected in the area covered. Technology has advanced enough to differentiate between humans, animals and other objects during detection. Moreover, controls can be customised to run lighting based on the availability of daylight. Organisations are using these sensors for highly accurate lighting and other appliances’ control. Ecoamica Technologies LLP shares a customer experience to explain. A Bengaluru-based technology multinational firm sought electricity consumption control solutions for areas like hosting server floors, corridors as well as aisles. The Ecosirius range of solutions by Ecoamica was installed throughout the intended premises with good results. A total of 300 sensors deployed throughout the area cut electricity usage from 12 hours down to just 1.5 hours a day. At an average electricity cost of ` 6.75 per unit, the firm’s monthly electricity bill of ` 940,000 dramatically went down to ` 120,000—a 92
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total saving of more than ` 800,000 in one month. The total setup cost was around ` 200,000, implying ROI within one month of the implementation.
The final word When coupled with the right energyefficient lighting and smart technology, PIR sensors can be a real moneysaver. Sensor placements, proper usage and frequency of use play a big role in the ROI. Electricity can account for up to 20 per cent of an organisation’s monthly expenses. So, controlling the consumption is a smart move to cut overhead costs. —Paromik Chakraborty, technical journalist, EFY
Retrofit LED Tubes For EnergyEfficient Lighting LED tubelights consume about 60 per cent less power than their conventional counterparts
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f you still use incandescent or fluorescent tubelights in your office, it is time you switch to LED tubelights, which can save you up to 80 per cent power. Retrofit LED tubes, specifically Type-A ones, are the best choice for tubular lighting in any office, enterprise or industry as these are easy to install and have a life expectancy of 50,000 hours. Here we share some examples that prove the benefits of implementing LED lighting in work spaces.
Case 1. Pune-based Cummins India reported an ROI in 14 months and reduction of electricity bill by 50 per cent within two years of switching from traditional tubelights to easily-installable retrofit LED tubelights. Kushal Uppal, founder and MD, InteliZon, shares another example where a corporate establishment based in Hyderabad was looking to install solar panels on the rooftop to run their tubelights in the garage during daytime. Their initial plan was to install a 5kW solar system (including inverter) costing about ` 500,000 to run about a 100 tubelights. InteliZon suggested the use of retrofit DC LED tubelights, which consumed about 60 per cent less power than conventional tubelights. Elimination of a separate DCAC converter for solar panels and tubelights and going straight with DC-DC (from solar panel to LED tubelight) enabled the company to install the entire system within ` 200,000, which was less than half of the initially planned capex. In the long run, there was a power saving of 30 per cent. Case 2. US-based lighting solutions company Independence LED provided automobile giant BMW with LED solution kits, each comprising a pair of 15-watt, 2’ retrofit LED tubes. The solution saved 34 watts per fixture, resulting in cumulative power savings of 53 per cent. By reducing the fixture wattage from 64 to 30, the annual savings were reported as 127.3kWh and $11 per fixture. Over the 60,000-hour (16year) lifespan of the LEDs, energy savings are over $176 per fixture. Looking at all the data including power savings, reduced bulb replacement cost, lower maintenance expenses and labour cost savings, while also considering the average 3 per cent annual increase in the energy cost, the total savings is over $348 per fixture. —Paromik Chakraborty, technical journalist, EFY www.eFYmag.com
Industry News Make in india
Deep learning: Latest trend in smart speakers The global smart speaker market will grow annually at 24 per cent during the period 2017-21—forecasts a Research and Markets report. The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is deeplearning software—an advanced version of artificial intelligence (AI). The deep-learning software is capable of recognising image, sound and other data patterns. This capability is being exploited
by Google, among others, to build speech recognition software in its latest Android mobile software. According to the report, one of the major smart speaker drivers is the increase in the number of smart homes in developed countries such as the US and the UK. In a smart home, smart electronics, consumer electronic devices, and media and entertainment gadgets connect to the home network and interact with each other.
Localised smartphone manufacturing to reach 25 per cent by 2019: IAMAI In the backdrop of a strong growth potential for smartphone adoption, India is set to increase its domestic localisation rate from 6.1 per cent in 2016 to 25.8 per cent in 2019, according to a report published jointly by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and Enixta Innovations. This translates to ` 310 billion in value generated through local sourcing and assembly. There is a high possibility to build local sourcing capabilities for mobile phone
components such as battery packs, non-electronic parts, accessories and packaging, though the main electronic components will take longer to be sourced locally. According to the report, 38 new mobile manufacturing units were set up between September 2015 and October 2016. Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have emerged as the mobile phone manufacturing hubs in the country with half of the 38 manufacturing units established in these states.
Smartphones constituted 43 per cent of total handset sales in 2016 The Indian handset market recorded over 350 million sales in the financial year 2016-17 as compared to 280 million in 2015-16, according to an ASSOCHAM-KPMG joint study. Smart phones, in particular, have gained immense popularity in India in the last four years and www.efymag.com
constituted 43 per cent of the total handset shipments in 2016. Robust growth of the handset market coupled with enhanced connectivity of telecom services have been pivotal in growth of various industries such as retail, manufacturing, IT, e-commerce, etc, noted the study.
On The Move Infosys CEO and MD Sikka resigns The Board of Directors of Infosys have accepted the resignation of Dr Vishal Sikka as the managing director and CEO. Dr Sikka cited among his reasons for leaving a continuous stream of distractions and disruptions preventing the management’s ability to accelerate the company’s transformation. He will now serve the company as executive vice chairman, and will hold office until the new CEO and MD takes charge.
Intex appoints Rumpa as head of business excellence Intex Technologies has appointed Rumpa Roy as head of business excellence. In her new role at Intex, Roy would be responsible for working on process efficiency enhancement. She will also be focusing on business process mapping/re-engineering. One of her key responsibilities is to drive strategic initiatives with functional heads.
Enphase appoints account manager in India Enphase Energy, Inc., a global energy technology company and supplier of solar microinverters, has appointed a strategic account manager in India, added Sun-AP Ecopower and Redington as new distribution partners, and established a direct presence in Chennai to manage future growth in India. As account manager for India, Venkata Mukundarajan will be responsible for driving distribution partnerships, supporting business development and expanding the preference for Enphase microinverters amongst installers. electronics for you | september 2017
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Industry news India’s LTE smartphone installed base to surpass USA’s in a year According to a report by Counterpoint’s Market Monitor service, India’s LTE smartphone installed base crossed 150 million units in the second quarter of 2017, and will surpass USA’s in the next one year. In terms of performance during the quarter, smartphone sales in India grew by modest four per cent year-on-year. Like China, the top five brands contributed to almost 70 per cent of the total smartphone market. Chinese brands’ performance remained strong and now contribute to more than half of the total smartphone shipments. Xiaomi, Vivo, Oppo and Gionee were the fastest growing smartphone brands. Four out of five mobile handsets shipped were ‘manufactured in India.’
Telecom to generate three million jobs by 2018 Roll-out of 4G technology, entry of new players in the market, introduction of digital wallets, popularity of smartphones and other developments are likely to create three million job opportunities in the telecom sector by 2018, according to an ASSOCHAM-KPMG joint study. Emerging technologies such as 5G, M2M and the evolution of information and communications technology (ICT) are expected to create employment avenues for almost 870,000 individuals by 2021, adds the study.
LG Electronics launches IoT sensors for households LG Electronics has showcased five different Internet-of-Things (IoT) sensors that can be utilised in homes, in line with the company’s push to build up its latest technology. IoT is a concept in which objects are connected to the Internet and identify themselves to other devices in order to exchange necessary data 94
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Calendar of Forthcoming Electronics Fairs/Exhibitions/Seminars/Events Name, Date and Venue
Topics
Contact address for details
IFA 2017 September 1-6, 2017 Berlin, Germany
Meeting place for key retailers, buyers, and experts from the consumer electronics industry and the media
The German Association for Entertainment and Communications Electronics and Messe Berlin Website: http://b2b.ifa-berlin.com
World Robot Olympiad India National Championship 2017 September 9-10, 2017
Robotics competition in India for students between the age group of 9 to 25 years
India STEM Foundation, and National Council of Science and Museum. Website: https://indiastemfoundation. org/wroindia/
ELCINA-EFY Awards 2016-17 September 14, 2017 New Delhi
Awards for excellence in electronics hardware manufacturing and services
www.elcina.com
Digital Haryana Summit September 15, 2017 The Leela Ambience, Gurugram
Meeting platform for scripting the digital transformation of Haryana, by connecting the building blocks of digital governance, innovation and citizen partnership
Website: http://nasscom.in/ digitalharyanasummit
AI World 2017 September 18-20, 2017 Boston, USA
Artificial intelligence (AI) world conference and expo
AI World 2017 Website: https://aiworld.com
Renewable Energy India Expo September 20-22, 2017 India Expo Centre, Greater Noida
International exhibition and conference platform for renewable energy solutions.
Website: http://www. renewableenergyindiaexpo.com/
National Seminar on Inverterization for Energy Efficiency: Technology, Applications and Opportunities September 26, 2017 Le Meridien, New Delhi
Seminar highlighting the potential of energy saving in India by adoption of inverterisation in residential and commercial spaces, the need for policies, standards and regulatory framework that will support energy-efficient ecosystem, reduction in the total cost of ownership, and sharing industry knowledge and fostering collaboration between government, technology developers and OEMs
Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) E-mail: [emailprotected] Website: www.cii.in
TechXLR8 Asia October 2-4, 2017 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Festival of technology that brings together Asia’s telco and tech ecosystem to discover technologies that are enabling and shaping our connected future
TechXLR8 Asia Website: https://tmt.knect365.com/ techxlr8-asia/
Innovate! and Celebrate 2017 October 9-11, 2017 InterContinental San Francisco
3-day global conference celebrating innovation & entrepreneurship
Website: https://www.innovatecelebrate.com/
Taitronics Taipei October 11-14, 2017 Taipei, Taiwan
International trade fair for electronics and electronic components
Taiwan External Trade Development Council Website: http://www.taitra.org.tw/
Global Sources Consumer Electronics October 11-14, 2017 AsiaWorld-Expo, next to Hong Kong Airport
Showcase of consumer electronics, gaming and VR, components and smart living products
Website: www.globalsources.com
Open Source India October 13-14, 2017 NIMHANS Convention Center, Bengaluru, India
Asia’s annual convention to celebrate open source computing
Open Source India Website: http://opensourceindia.in/ osidays/
Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Autumn Edition) October 13-16, 2017 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre
World’s leading electronics marketplace
Hong Kong Trade Development Council Website: www.hkelectronicsfairae.com
Global Sources Mobile Electronics October 18-21, 2017 AsiaWorld-Expo, next to Hong Kong Airport
Showcase of smartphones, tablets, wearables and accessories
Website: www.globalsources.com
22nd World Electronics Forum (WEF) 2017 October 24-28, 2017 Angers, France
Meeting place for electronics industry leaders and federations from all over the world to discuss hot topics in the electronics sector, alongside showcase of IoT expertise and innovation
Website: http://wef-angers.com/
Assocham Green Energy Summit 2017 November 9-12, 2017 Bangalore International Exhibition Centre
World expo and conference on renewable energy
ASSOCHAM India
Big Data London November 15-16, 2017 Olympia, London, UK
The UK’S largest data and analytics event
Big Data London Website: http://bigdataldn.com/
www.efymag.com
Industry news Calendar of Forthcoming Electronics Fairs/Exhibitions/Seminars/Events Name, Date and Venue
Topics
Contact address for details
CeBIT INDIA 2017 November 30-December 2, 2017 White Orchid Convention Centre, Hebbal, Bengaluru
Digital innovation show
ELEXCON 2017 December 21-23, 2017 Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, China
Annual expo for the electronics industry based in Shenzhen
ELEXCON 2017 Website: www.elexcon.com/elexcon/en
34th Chaos Communication Congress December 27-30, 2017 Leipzig, Germany
Annual cybersecurity conference organised by the Chaos Computer Club
Website: https://events.ccc.de/
CES 2018 January 9-12, 2018 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
World’s gathering place for those who thrive on the business of consumer technologies and where next-generation innovations are introduced to the marketplace
Consumer Technology Association Website: www.ces.tech
NEPCON Japan January 17-19, 2018 Tokyo Big Sight, Japan
Asia’s leading exhibition for electronics design, R&D and manufacturing technology
Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd Website: http://www.nepconjapan.jp/en/
Electronics West February 6-8, 2018 Anaheim Convention Center, California, USA
North America’s largest annual design and manufacturing event
Electronics West Website: http://electronicswest. designnews.com/
India Electronics Week February 7-9, 2018 KTPO Convention Center, Bengaluru
With its 4 co-located shows—IoTshow.in, LEDasia.in, EFY Expo and EFY Conferences— India Electronics Week acts as a one-stop-shop for technology enthusiasts
EFY Enterprises Pvt Ltd E-mail: [emailprotected] Website: www.indiaelectronicsweek.com
Embedded World 2018 February 27-March 1, 2018 Exhibition Centre, Nuremberg, Germany
Trade fair for IT security for electronic systems
NürnbergMesse Website: www.embedded-world.de/en
ELECRAMA March 10-14, 2018 India Expo Mart, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
Flagship showcase of the Indian electrical industry ecosystem and the largest congregation of power sector ecosystem in the geography; brings together the complete spectrum of solutions that powers the planet
IEEMA Website: http://elecrama.com, http://ieema.org
Hannover Milano Fairs India Pvt Ltd Website: www.cebit-india.com
Since this information is subject to change, all those interested are advised to ascertain the details from the organisers before making any commitment.
for improved efficiency and user convenience. The LG sensors, respectively, detect water leaks, smoke, carbon monoxide, doors and movement.
RadioShack to survive under new owner RadioShack, American chain of wireless and electronics stores, will live on after an affiliate of Kensington Capital Holdings, a family office based in the suburbs of Boston family office, agreed to assume ownership of it. Kensington had made a $23 million loan to RadioShack after it exited its first bankruptcy two years ago, and secured a deal with US wireless carrier Sprint Corp to cobrand 1400 stores. Kensington plans to license the 96-year-old brand back to General www.efymag.com
Wireless—the bankrupt company that does business as RadioShack.
Sony searching for the next hits After five years of brutal restructuring, Sony is back on solid financial footing and coming out with new products. Among the new products are Aromastic digital smell dispenser, AeroSense self-flying drones and a collection of tech-infused accessories called ‘wena.’ These gadgets are being developed under the Seed Accelerator Program, started by chief executive officer Kazuo Hirai to encourage invention and risk-taking. In fact, the company has allowed more than 1600 of its employees in Japan to put their day jobs on hold to pitch new ideas. The most promising ones have led to the creation of twelve new products.
Awards BEL wins D&B Top PSU Award 2017 Navratna defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has won Dun & Bradstreet India’s Top PSU Award 2017 in the ‘manufacturing: medium and light engineering sector’ category. M.M. Joshi, executive director (national marketing), BEL, received the award from Neeraj Kumar Gupta, secretary, Department of Investment & Public Asset Management, ministry of finance, government of India, at the awards ceremony held at New Delhi.
INVECAS acquires Lattice’s HDMI design team USA-based INVECAS, Inc., a leading provider of silicon-proven IP solutions and ASIC design services, is acquiring Lattice Semiconductor’s HDMI design team and Simplay Labs subsidiary, which oversees standards compliance and interoperability testing services. This transaction will include the transfer of approximately 150 R&D staff, labs and other assets from Lattice’s operations in San Jose and Hillsboro (USA), Hyderabad (India), as well as Shanghai and Shenzhen (China).
Schneider Electric sets up solar plant at its Vadodara facility Schneider Electric has set up a 720kWp solar power project at its manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat. The solar project, built on a rooftop area of 6000 square metres, covers almost 45 per cent of the total factory load and will produce over 1.05 million units of electricity per year, which would help cut power costs by as much as 20-25 per cent annually. Further, Schneider Electric will be able to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by 1018 tonnes per year, which is equivalent to planting 50,000 trees. electronics for you | september 2017
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make in india Market Survey
Solar Sector At The Crossroads
E Sudeshna Das is director at ComConnect
nergy demand in India is far outstripping the supply. Solar energy offers a huge opportunity to bridge this widening gap between demand and supply. However, there are concerns over the solar industry’s readiness against the backdrop of a sleuth of changes in the business environment like continuous tariff falls, the slow pace of new tender announcements and the introduction of GST. Let’s delve deeper to get the complete picture.
India grabs the power baton A survey by Wood Mackenzie on the global energy markets, which focuses on the upcoming market shifts, concludes that global energy demand will keep rising through 2035. However, the nature of the energy mix, demand centres and key players will change significantly. The report also predicts that energy demand in India will grow the fastest, at an average rate of 3 per cent annually from now to 2035, by which time the country’s population will outgrow even China’s. Renewable energy sources will surge from 22 per cent to 54 per cent of the total installed capacity, while oil consumption will rise by 80 per cent. According to an Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) report, India ranks third among 40 countries in Ernst and Young’s Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index. IndIa’s energy use With a production of pattern In 2016 1,400,800GWh in 2016, India Fuel MW % of total is the third largest producer total thermal 220,576 67.0% as well as the third largest Coal 194,553 59.1% consumer of electricity in the Gas 25,185 7.6% world. Although power generation has grown manifold Oil 838 0.3% since Independence, demand Hydro (Renewable) 44,614 13.6% has been even higher due nuclear 6780 2.1% to accelerating economic res* (MNRE) 57,260 17.4% activity. India has a diversitotal 329,231 100% fied power sector with energy *Installed capacity with respect to RES (MNRE) as on sources ranging from the con31.03.2017 ventional coal, natural gas, RES (renewable energy sources) includes small hydro projects, biomass gasifiers, biomass power, urban oil, hydro and nuclear power industrial waste-based power, solar and wind energy. to renewable sources such as Source: Ministry of Power 96
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wind, solar and biological waste. According to data available from the Ministry of Power (Table), renewable energy sources accounted for around 17.4 per cent of India’s total installed power capacity in March 2017.
Solar rising faster Solar power has quickly become a sizeable part of India’s energy mix. According to GTM Research and a Bridge To India (BTI) report, the total solar PV capacity installed globally had surpassed 300GW by the end of 2016. Of this, 77GW was added in 2016—a year-on-year growth rate of 34 per cent. China led with 34.5GW, followed by the USA (14.5GW) and Japan (10.2GW), with India (5GW) in fourth place. In 2017, India is expected to continue its rapid growth in solar power. With 8.8GW of projected capacity addition (a growth of 76 per cent over 2016), the country is set to become the third largest PV market in 2017, overtaking Japan (Figs 1 and 2). The GTM report also mentioned that, as of March 31, 2017, India had installed 12.2GW of utility-scale solar PV capacity. Till date, the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have taken the lead in solar installation projects (Fig. 3). This year, approximately 60 per cent of new solar capacity addition is expected to come from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
Tariff at stake The wide-scale adoption of solar energy, coupled with the sharp decline in solar module prices in the global market by almost 30 per cent (a trend that is likely to continue next year also) due to a supply glut, has resulted in an abrupt fall of solar power tariff in India. In the last one year, the Indian solar sector experienced almost 50 per cent tariff reduction, with 25 per cent drop happening in just the last three months. In May this year, India’s solar power tariffs fell to a new all-time low of 3.8 US cents (approx. ` 2.40) per unit during the www.eFYmag.com
make in india
Is domestic solar equipment manufacturing a distant dream? Being a lucrative solar power market, India attracts both global and local investors. However, the country is far from attaining self-reliance in solar module manufacturing. According to Ministry of Commerce data, India imported 5.7GW or about 89 per cent (84 per cent from China alone) of its total solar module requirements in FY 2016-17 (Fig. 4). The total value of these imports www.eFYmag.com
40 35
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Fig. 1: Solar capacity addition in the leading countries (Source: BTI, GTM Research) Global PV Demand, 2007-2022E 120.0
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250MW capacity auction at Bhadla in Rajasthan. South Africa’s Phelan Energy Group and Avaada Power won contracts to build capacities of 50MW and 100MW, respectively, at the Adani Renewable Energy Park Rajasthan. Falling solar power prices have prompted the Indian government to focus on renewable energy resources. However, new tender announcements from the government have slowed down, as it is encouraging greater private-sector participation. This has intensified the competition amongst developers. Interestingly, only a few new tenders are slated for the next year, and there is a complete lack of pipeline visibility over that period. Therefore it seems that the current tariff rates are hardly sustainable. Falling tariffs are a double-edged sword for the solar sector. While these make solar power more attractive for consumers, investors and lenders get jittery. These tariffs are also creating uncertainty amongst policymakers, while causing new risks for older projects auctioned at tariffs that are two to three times higher. The sharp reduction of tariffs may commoditise the Indian solar market rapidly and profit margins are bound to squeeze across the value chain. Therefore solar players need to innovate new technologies and business strategies to survive in this ultra-low-tariff scenario.
60.0
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Major shifts expected in the global solar market in 2017:
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4. Japan: Policy transition towards auctions results in 25-30 GW of approved projects being canceled, though 8 GW still likely in 2017. 41.9 39.5 29.9
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3. India: A nearly 30 GW tender pipeline and rapidly declining costs will spur a doubling of 2016 demand this year.
29.2
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2017-2022 CAGR = 5.2%
2. U.S.: Despite 97% growth in 2016, demand will contract by over 10% before the non-ITC-rush utilityscale pipeline is replenished.
50.9
16.2
20.0 2.5 0.0
Cumulative Forecast 2017-2022 = 572.9 GW
1. China: Similar 30+ GW expectations in 2017 demonstrate the industry’s dependence on China’s opaque policy-driven demand.
2007
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2016 2017E 2018E 2019E 2020E 2021E 2022E
Fig. 2:: Global PV demand 2007-22 (Source: GTM Research) Andhra Global SolarPradesh Demand Monitor: Q1 2017 Rajasthan Tamil Nadu Telangana Gujarat Madhya Pradesh Karnataka Punjab Maharashtra Odisha Uttar Pradesh Chhattisgarh Bihar Others 0
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Fig. 3: State-wise commissioned solar capacity as of March 31, 2017 (Source: BTI)
is estimated at US$3 billion, equivalent to 2.8 per cent of the country’s total merchandise trade deficit. According to a BTI estimate, India’s total module manufacturing capacity is 5.286GW. However, most of this capacity is obsolete,
sub-scale and uncompetitive. Total domestic production in 2016 was about 1.33GW. Adani is the biggest module manufacturer with 1.2GW capacity, followed by Waaree, Vikram and Emmvee with capacities of 500MW each. electronics For You | september 2017
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make in india 35.0
` billion
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Fig. 4: Solar module imports by India (Source: Ministry of Commerce, GoI)
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Fig. 5: Solar module exports from India (Source: Ministry of Commerce, GoI)
Though solar module imports have increased significantly in the last four years in line with growth in capacity addition, exports have dropped notably (Fig. 5). This increasing dependence on imports in a growing and strategically important solar sector has created various stress points in the Indian economy, which may lead to an abrupt policy reaction by the government. However, the Indian government needs to consider longterm implications for the sector and chalk out a well thought-out plan for domestic manufacturing instead of introducing short-term support measures to counter China’s monopoly in this sector. China has announced huge subsidies and other support measures to scale up its solar PV manufacturing and dominate the global market. This has resulted in a massive increase in the Chinese manufacturing capacity from 23GW in 2013 to over 70GW today, despite the steep fall in prices. China also provides support for new technologies through its ‘Top Runner’ programme, which encourages the industry to migrate to higher-efficiency PV products. So far, the Indian government’s priority has been to increase generation capacity and lower tariffs. But in the absence of a proper domestic 98
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manufacturing ecosystem, such measures are not enough to enable Indian manufacturers to compete with Chinese imports.
Is GST ‘good and simple’ enough? In accordance with the ‘one nation one tax’ policy, solar panels and solar PV cells now attract a concessional GST rate of 5 per cent. This GST rate as against the effective 0 per cent rate of taxation will increase the total project costs. However, the increase in project costs may be offset by the following factors: 1. Removal of the cascading effect of taxes 2. Availability of input credit resulting in improved cash flows and EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation) 3. Reduction in administrative and warehouse costs due to the abolition of multiple tax compliance requirements 4. Reduction of tariff-related trade barriers across the country enabling the growth of a common market The same GST rate of 5 per cent has been extended to all equipment for solar power generating plants or other capital goods used
in solar projects. However, there is still a lack of clarity on ‘other’ capital goods used in solar projects. There is confusion in the market on how to avail the concessional 5 per cent GST rate when many of the same components are taxed at higher rates for use in other industries. For example, transformers are taxed at 5 per cent for solar projects as against 18 per cent for other applications. In the absence of any specific notification for solar projects, the GST rates vary from 18 per cent for capital goods, such as inverters and module mounting structures, to 28 per cent for cables and batteries. According to BTI estimates, if all capital goods for solar projects are taxed at 5 per cent rate, the overall increase in EPC costs will be around 3 per cent. However, if only modules are taxed at 5 per cent and other capital goods are taxed at 1828 per cent rates, the net increase in EPC costs is expected to be around 6 per cent. With global solar module prices firming up due to extension of the solar Feed-in Tariff deadline in China, GST has come at an unfavourable time for the solar sector in India. Project delays can be expected and one cannot rule out the risk of litigation between project developers and discoms over the sharing of additional costs. The adverse impact will also be felt in the rooftop solar market, where market activity is expected to slow down in the near future.
Moving forward Solar power as a clean energy technology option has already surpassed expectations, and this trend could continue. However, availability of grid-scale energy storage is critical to ensure sustainable growth of the solar sector. Therefore the onus lies with the energy storage industry to deliver low-cost yet reliable storage solutions. www.eFYmag.com
IntervIew Smart World
“Barcodes Will Soon Communicate With Humans” Deep AgArwAl
regionAl sAles DirectorinDiA, ZebrA technologies ApAc
Manufacturing and materials handling setups need to invest significantly in specialised equipment across the supply chain. Barcodes record all the necessary assets, which, in turn, can save time and money for such businesses. In a conversation with Baishakhi Dutta from EFY, Deep Agarwal, regional sales director-India, Zebra Technologies APAC, shares trends in barcode solutions and their impact on various sectors
Q. what is smart tagging and barcoding? A. Barcodes, RFID tags or sensors will soon have a digital voice to communicate with human beings. As per a Gartner forecast, the number of connected things will reach 20.8 billion by 2020. This will spur more enterprises to increase visibility across their supply chain to know better where an asset is, or what condition it is in. Tracking these assets will rely heavily on data capture devices such as laser barcode scanners, twodimensional (2D) barcode imagers, RFID readers and beacons to ‘talk.’ These devices will help translate data into text that humans can interpret and understand easily.
Q. how can enterprises make the best use of data collected through smart systems? A. Data is perishable. Its value is time-sensitive and has a limited shelf life. Businesses must make sense of data before it expires. Enterprises, however, are gradually losing profitable insights since there are many incoherent origins and data which are being collected on their own, thereby contributing very little in the entire picture instead of rendering a broad view. Decoding the data collected through the Internet-of-Things (IoT)-enabled devices and wearables will help companies to accelerate their decision-making process and, in turn, make more informed business judgments. www.efymag.com
Q. where are smart devices heading with respect to application and demand? A. More and more functions and services will be incorporated into a single enterprise-grade device. Demand is likely to be seen in areas such as retail, healthcare, transportation and logistics, and manufacturing—for mobile devices that scan barcodes, measure objects using mobile dimensioning technologies, connect to the Internet or intranet, make voice calls, and more. For instance, wearable devices built for warehouses will be increasingly equipped with multi-modal features, allowing workers to access multiple functions in one device. Voice recognition and commands will make it easier for users to get instructions and tackle task together. Such technological advancements will increase productivity by up to 15 per cent.
Q. what is the use of mobile dimensioning? A. Mobile dimensioning is picking up steam, especially in the transport and logistics industry. In a market where shipping fees are increasingly charged by volumetric weight for lighter items, such as electronic gadgets, this ground-breaking technology enables field workers to measure the dimensions of a package with a single touch on their mobile device—doing away with the hassle and inefficiency of carrying and using a measuring tape.
Q. how does artificial intelligence smoothen working with barcodes? A. Companies are looking forward to more automated form factors in the years to come, such as roving robotic devices or flying drones that can read barcodes or RFID tags with little or no human intervention.
Q. where do 2D scanners find use? A. The flexibility of a 2D imager is very beneficial to enterprises that require a device to read multiple symbology types from different forms of media. An advanced technology like 2D imaging technology enhances customer understanding, upgrades productivity and widens supply chain management.
Q. what are the advantages of using barcode scanners in the electronics industry? A. In manufacturing plants, barcodes can be applied to electronic components as small as 12mm, ensuring quality and traceability for every part. Specialised high-density scanners are required to scan such tiny barcodes. Further down the supply chain, finished products can also be tagged for inventory management and control when they get delivered to the warehouse or stores. On the retail shop floor, barcode scanners ensure proper inventory management, fast checkouts and seamless purchasing. Store associates can quickly identify which shelves need replenishment, and which items need to be ordered. electronics for you | september 2017
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IntervIew Artificial Intelligence
“Businesses Go For Ai When Stakes Are High” Vaidya Subramaniam S.
In a conversation with Paromik Chakraborty of Electronics For You, Vaidya Subramaniam S., head-product management, GreyOrange, speaks about use of artificial intelligence (AI) in today’s businesses, things to consider before AI implementation and challenges ahead
head-product management, greyorange
Q. What is the level of intelligence in today’s commercial ai offerings? A. Whatever we see today is a narrow AI or a weaker AI. Right now, we do not have machines that can act like a human being in multiple circ*mstances. Rather, systems go after a specific situation based on rules and heuristics today. Narrow AI is the stepping stone towards going broader.
Q. how is ai benefitting the various sectors? please share examples. A. Automation and robotics have been around for a while, helping out the manufacturing industries. Recently, this sector has started to incorporate intelligence. Balancing different manufacturing lines can improve productivity by 10-40 per cent depending on the degree of imbalance identified. Together with underlying data analytics, AI is used to balance the production lines to redesign the production process or to predict and address bottlenecks in real time. In medical industry, risky and intricate surgeries, where even the smallest error could be fatal, are being done with the help of machines and intelligence. Finance companies like Visa, which approve millions of transactions and issue millions of credit cards in a day, apply rules and logics along with the knowledge or information, and implement these 100
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over a system to carry out the different complex functions involved in the process, such as applicant credibility analysis and filtering, transaction validation and so on. These are the circ*mstances where AI is playing a huge role in today’s market. In social media we can take the example of Facebook, which needs to monitor and filter out explicit or objectionable content on their public platform—and the filtering has to be done for all the media uploaded by millions of people throughout the day. Performing this activity at such a huge scale is not feasible without AI.
Q. What are the driving factors for implementing ai to a business? A. Businesses go for higher technologies when the stakes are high and conventional methods are not sustainable or scalable. AI happens to be one of these technologies. Two major driving factors are the scale and complexity of the business. Analytics is a low-hanging fruit for businesses of any level to catch upon. When a lot of capital is at stake, businesses will look at the available data, refer to the analytics and then take a decision—this creates a systematic way of running the business. Analytics is a precursor to AI.
Q. how can businesses scale up to implement ai and achieve success? A. First, identify problems for
which the business is not getting satisfactory results through normal means. A major reason is usually the ways of making business decisions. Next, figure out if there is a way to implement intelligence based on the past experience or statistical data and so on. Third, find out the areas and amount of expenses incurred and the factors involved. All these steps give you a clear picture of your investments and outcomes and helps you decide the technology necessary for attaining a success rate.
Q. ai itself is a complex subject. how can indian companies harvest skill-set for the purpose? A. The most complex aspect of AI is the self-learning capability— how to organise the knowledge automatically without any manual intervention, and how to learn adaptively. An easy point to start is developing an expert system or a room-based engine. To understand, assume a room full of experts distilling their observation and sharing their experiences of solving real-time problematic situations. If these experiences can be encoded in an automated manner, and if a computer follows that, you have your AI. Other aspects of AI like operations, research, statistical techniques and probabilities are utilised to determine an outcome. www.eFYmag.com
New Products Make in india
Tools & EquipmEnT In-circuit debugger Microchip Technology has introduced an in-circuit programming and debugging development tool for its PIC microcontroller and dsPIC digital signal controller products. MPLAB ICD 4 includes all the features of the popular MPLAB ICD 3 debugger while adding increased speed through a faster processor and increased RAM. Its significant improvement in speed is accomplished through a 32-bit MCU running at 300MHz. Faster processing, along with an increased buffer memory of 2MB, makes it up to twice as fast as its predecessor. Microchip Technology www.microchip.com/ICD4
Compute and acceleration platform Artesyn Embedded Technologies has announced a compact compute and acceleration platform for applications ranging from small cell baseband processing, scalable video streaming/encoding, video surveillance and ‘bump-in-the-wire’ monitoring to industrial computing. The MaxCore Micro is a cost-effective, enterprise-class chassis that holds a host server card and contains an additional slot for any PCI Express add-in card. While it can be used standalone as a complete system, its form factor allows three chassis to be fitted side106
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by-side in a 48cm (19-inch) rack. A power budget of 150 watts per slot makes it possible to build a system with as many as 48 Intel Xeon D cores per compact chassis, using two dualprocessor 12-core add-in cards. Artesyn Embedded Technologies www.artesyn.com
RFI/EMI filter Elcom International has introduced an AC three-phase four-wire RFI/ EMI filter under EP355 Screw Series. This filter is available for current rating starting from 3A to 250A. For models with current rating 3A to 40A, inbuilt surge suppressor are also available. Filters with current rating 3A to 40A are mostly required for office equipment, medical equipment, general-purpose four-wire filtering and applications with tight space conditions. Input and output connections are done by screw lead type M4 terminals. Filters with 50A to 250A current rating can be used for general-purpose four-wire filtering, mainframe computer systems, UPS, high-power office equipment and installations comprising automation equipment. Elcom International www.elcom-in.com
8-in-1 robot kit Dolphin Labs has developed a do-ityourself robotics kit that contains all the necessary material required for building eight different types of robots
like black line follower, white line follower, edge follower, object avoidance, object follower, touch me not, photo maniac and photo phobic. The robots are battery operated and don’t require soldering and programming. The kit can be upgraded for programming using microcontroller boards. Also, all parts can be separated and reused. Dolphin Labs www.dolphinlabs.net
Programmable DC motor controller Roboteq, Inc has introduced an intelligent controller capable of directly driving three DC motors up to 60V and 60A per channel. The FDC3260 can be used for mobile robots and automatic guided vehicles. The three high-power outputs are particularly effective for XYZ stabilisation platforms, flight simulators or driving three thrusters in underwater robot applications. The controller accepts commands, and can switch automatically from analogue joystick, standard R/C radio, USB or RS232 interface. Using the USB or serial port, it can be used to design fully or semi-autonomous robots by connecting it to singleboard computers, wireless modems or WiFi adaptors. The FDC3260 incorporates a Basic Language Interpreter capable of executing over 50,000 Basic instructions per second. Roboteq www.roboteq.com www.eFYmag.com
New Products
ComponEnTs Schottky barrier rectifiers Littelfuse, Inc. has introduced DST series of Schottky barrier rectifiers designed to outperform conventional switching diodes in commercial, industrial and automotive applications. These rectifiers combine ultra-low forward voltage drop, high current handling, high junction temperature capability and low leakage performance in a compact TO-277B surface-mount package. For automotive applications up to 10A, these are said to offer the same or better performance as Schottky barrier rectifiers provided in D-PAK packaging, with a footprint that’s only one-third of the size. Littelfuse, Inc. www.Littelfuse.com
Hybrid power and signal connector CONEC has launched a hybrid power and signal circular connector that saves time and costs for cabling, installation and maintenance for
conventional wiring of applications like motors, servo drives, linear units/ drives and more. By combining power supply and data transmission into one single connector, the compact SuperCon Series hybrid connector system saves space by eliminating the need for an additional wire and connector. The rugged IP67-rated connector features a safe and secure connection via a bayonet locking mechanism. CONEC www.conec.com/en/conec-superconconnectors/ www.eFYmag.com
WiFi+BLE SoC Uchi Embedded Solutions has introduced ESP32 Wi-Fi (2.4GHz) and Bluetooth combo chip from Espressif Systems that uses TSMC’s ultra-lowpower 40nm technology. The chip is designed for mobile, wearable electronics and the Internet of Things (IoT) applications, with features like fine-resolution clock gating, power modes and dynamic power scaling. For instance, in a low-power IoT sensor hub application scenario, ESP32 is woken up periodically and only when a specified condition is detected; low duty cycle is used to minimise the amount of energy that the chip expends. The output power of the power amplifier is adjustable to achieve an optimal trade-off between communication range, data rate and power consumption. Uchi Embedded Solutions www.uchiembedded.co.in
SoC for vehicle infotainment Renesas Electronics has started volume shipment of its first R-Car system-onchip (SoC) incorporating Automotive Grade Linux (AGL)-based software. AGL is a cross-industry effort to develop a fully open software stack for the connected car. The R-Car starter kit and AGL-based software accelerate the development of automotive in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) applications, and move automakers closer to the realisation of connected cars. Renesas www.renesas.com
Transceiver The MAX14827A from Maxim Integrated is a tiny input/output-link device transceiver. It integrates high-
voltage functions commonly found in industrial sensors, including drivers and regulators. The device features two ultra-lowpower drivers with active reverse-polarity protection. Operation is specified for normal 24V supply voltages up to 60V. Pin control logic inputs allow operation with switching sensors that do not use a microcontroller. For sensors that use a microcontroller, an SPI interface is available with extensive diagnostics. Maxim Integrated www.maximintegrated.com
Single-die LED Lumileds has revealed its highest flux density LED yet, the LUXEON V. Featuring a compact 4x4mm2 footprint, the new LED produces more than 1700 lumens at 5700K and 70CRI (4.8A)—50 per cent higher output than competing LEDs. It is said to enable fixture designs that were previously unattainable for stadium and area lighting, torch and other portables because of the unique combination of high efficacy at high drive current with extremely low thermal resistance and optimised radiation pattern. Lumileds www.lumileds.com/LUXEONV
TEsT & mEasurEmEnT Digital multimeter Kyoritsu’s 1021R digital multimeter can measure current up to 10A. Its key features include accurate reading with true RMS, a large display with 6000 counts and backlight, 600V AC/DC auto ranging, 0.1mV resolution, frequency electronics For You | september 2017
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New Products response of 40-500Hz and enhanced current measurement using an external clamp sensor. The multimeter is priced at ` 4999. Kyoritsu KEW India Instruments www.kew-ltd.co.in
Vector network analyser The new ZNLE vector network analyser (VNA) from Rohde & Schwarz can be used for RF measurements to characterise components such as antennae, attenuators, filters and PCBs. This standalone instrument weighs only 6kg and has a footprint of just 408x235mm2, saving up to two thirds of space on the workbench compared with competitive VNAs. The two-port vector network analyser provides quick and accurate bidirectional measurements of S11, S21, S12 and S22 parameters. An optional GPIB interface is available for remote control of the analyser. The instrument comes in two models with frequency ranges from 1MHz to 3GHz (model ZNLE3) and up to 6GHz (model ZNLE6). Rohde & Schwarz www.rohde-schwarz.com
Digital multimeter MECO has introduced a 6000-count true-RMS pocket-size digital multimeter, model 108B+TRMS. This auto-ranging digital multimeter with LCD backlight can measure voltages up to 1000V DC and 750V AC (trueRMS) and current up to 10A AC (true-RMS) and DC. Basic accuracy for DC voltage is ±1.0%rdg+10dgt, for AC voltage ±1.0%rdg+3dgt, for DC current 108
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±1.5%rdg+3dgt and for AC current ±1.5%rdg+3dgt. It can perform resistance, capacitance, frequency, duty cycle and temperature measurement and diode and audible continuity tests.
feature PFC to ensure low harmonics and built-in protection against over-voltage, under-voltage, overload and over-temperature. Master slave
Meco Instruments www.mecoinst.com
option allows the units to connect in series or parallel for higher power. The multi-range output is an added advantage over traditional fixedoutput or fixed auto-range output characteristics. Twenty user-defined sequences can be saved internally, allowing independent automation without external programming. The units are available with analogue programming, USB, LAN, RS-232 and RS-485 options.
misCEllanEous MIMO application framework update National Instruments (NI) has announced multiple-antenna user equipment support for its LabVIEW communications MIMO application framework. This makes MIMO application framework the world’s only commercially available physical layer reference design that powers massive MIMO prototyping that goes beyond just desktop simulations to fully functional 5G deployments. Wireless researchers can pair the MIMO application framework with NI software-defined radio hardware to conduct real-time, over-the-air experiments for a wide range of MIMO research topics including multiuser MIMO, single-user MIMO and massive MIMO. This multi-FPGA physical layer reference design ships with LabVIEW Communications source code, which is fully reconfigurable and modifiable, making it possible to create a complete network of multiple antenna devices with minimal system integration or design effort. National Instruments (NI) www.ni.com
Programmable DC power supplies Scientific has introduced a new series of 800W programmable DC power supplies in compact 1U size, with 0-600V and 0-80A models. These power supplies accept universal AC mains input of 90V-270V, and
Scientific Mes Technik www.scientificindia.com
Access control Matrix has introduced a Bluetoothbased user identification technology. This access control technology
allows users to open doors by simply pairing their mobile’s Bluetooth with the inherent Bluetooth of the door controller. Users have to pair their device only once, after which they can gain access by merely twisting their mobile phones in the vicinity of the entry/exit point. The key features of Bluetoothbased access control include Mobile as user credential, contactless identification, processing of multiple user simultaneously, no RF cards required and encrypted communication. Matrix Comsec www.MatrixAccessControl.com www.eFYmag.com
Price ` 2750 (special offer price ` 1899)
First Look estyle
EFY BuREau
Bluetooth Speaker
Dual-SIM Smart Case
Packed with big sound
Run android on your iPhone
Pebble has launched a multifunctional speaker designed to create the perfect music environment. Named Storm, the cylindricalshaped speaker is both wireless and Bluetooth 4.0 enabled, allowing you to play music from your device without connecting wires. Its built-in rechargeable battery ensures five to six hours of playback without recharge. The 10W speaker produces clear sound. With Bluetooth range of up to 25 metres, the speaker supports USB, headphone/ AUX input for maximum compatibility and MicroSD cards with MP3 audio formats for uninterrupted entertainment. Its inbuilt FM radio lets you enjoy your favourite channels on the move. The speaker is available in a playful mix of red and blue colours.
Bluetooth Earphone High on design, battery life and sound quality iBall’s Talkathon49 wireless Bluetooth earphone lets you chat and surf on your PC, tablet or smartphone with no wires to tie you down. Using noise-reduction technology, it provides clear-voice-call and optimised sound quality. Its inbuilt noise-cancelling microphone reduces background noise, so you’re clearly heard on calls with colleagues, family and friends. Designed for a comfortable fit with extra ear cushions, the earphone perfectly fits your ears. The earphone has a battery life of up to six working hours and a range of 10 metres. Its built-in multi-point technology allows you to connect two devices at a time. The simple ear-on controls let you swiftly Price ` 2195 switch between your favourite tracks and calls. www.efymag.com
Price ` 9990
Yerha.com, an e-commerce platform for technology products, has launched Mesuit—an iPhone dual-SIM case that runs both iOS and Android operating systems on your iPhone. Mesuit runs Android OS on iPhones in the form of an app and supports one-key hot swapping. This fully-functional mobile device has its own modem. The user-friendly app displays battery usage, memory and storage capacity of the phone as well as the case. Once you download the app and turn the Bluetooth on, your device is ready to be used either as an iPhone or as an Android phone, and you can easily connect the case with the iPhone via the lightning port. Mesuit is powered by Mediatek octa-core processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage capacity. So users can store and transfer photos and videos from the phone into the case with a single tap and even enjoy dual WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram on one screen. The device works as an external battery pack providing an additional seven hours of talk time and has a slot to insert an additional SIM card.
140cm Smart TV For hassle-free browsing and powerful audio-video Europe-based Truvison has introduced a 140cm (55-inch) smart TV with a 4k panoramic ultra HD screen for enhanced picture quality. The TX55101 uses Miracast technology, giving you faster and seamless connectivity with multiple devices and gadgets. With its inbuilt Wi-Fi, you get hassle-free browsing, and seamless access to Netflix, Google Play Store and YouTube. The TV runs Android 4.4 operating system with 1GB RAM, so you get access to all TV-oriented apps, services and content available in Google Play Store. Other features include support for LED static backlight, two HDMI ports and Dolby Digital sound. The TV comes with an Android Air fly mouse, which enables easier navigation and thrilling gaming experience.
Price ` 68,990
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Price ` 27,990 for 80cm (32-inch) and ` 39,990 for 98cm (39-inch)
first look
Curved LED TVs Make the images more real Mitashi’s curved LED TVs come in sizes of 80cm (32 inches) and 98cm (39 inches) with HD-ready screen. The in-built Wi-Fi and USB port and card reader slots ensure you are always connected with all your devices, with easy portability of all your multimedia content. Screen mirroring feature allows you to mirror your smartphone and share pictures and movies on the TV screen. Dynamic contrast ratio of 500,000:1 and 1366x768 resolution, coupled with 176-degree viewing angle, bring every frame alive. The free wall-mount makes it easy to put up on any wall in your home, be it the living room or the bedroom.
Portable SSD Storage
MSI Gaming Notebook
Featuring up to five times faster transfer speeds than external HDDs
With rapid mechanical RGB keyboard
Get instant access to your most valuable data anywhere, anytime with T5 portable solidstate drive from Samsung. Built with Samsung’s latest 64-layer V-NAND technology, the T5 delivers industry-leading transfer speeds with encrypted data security in a compact and durable design. Delivering speeds of up to 540 MB/s—up to five times faster than external HDD products—the T5 is designed especially for content creators, business and IT professionals as well as mainstream consumers. It is smaller than an average business card at 74x57.3x10.5 mm3 and lightweight at a mere 51 grams, comfortably fitting in the palm of your hand. The aluminium exterior comes in two distinct metal finishes—deep black (1TB and 2TB models) and alluring blue (250GB and 500GB models). Price Starting at around ` 8300 ($129.99) for the 250GB model
GizMo ByTes OS integrated speech-to-text frees you from typing Indus OS, India’s own operating system, now includes a speech-to-text functionality to provide a voice-based smartphone experience. The new Indus OS keyboard supports 23 Indian languages in addition to English. So as users speak into the phone in their preferred language, the text is automatically recognised and displayed at the press of a button. This feature is integrated in the Indus OS’ default keyboard and does not require any additional apps or downloads.
Google brings Allo IM to desktop
MSI’s GT75VR Titan notebook with mechanical keyboard brings a new world to gaming experience. Tactile feedback and radiant RGB backlight under every key of its keyboard create a great experience. Besides, typing and force feedback are key traits of the keyboard. The GT75VR Titan comes with three GPU options—GeForce GTX1080, GTX1070 SLI or GTX1070—and powerful Core i7 7820HK CPU with over 4GHz overclock capability. Its cooling module is said to be the industry’s finest and biggest. Other gaming features include True Color Technology 2.0, NAHIMIC VR, 120Hz display of HDR colour for gamers and HDR video editing experience.
Price ` 324,990
Google has made its consumer chat app Allo available for desktop users via its Chrome browser. With this, the Google instant messaging service is no longer limited to just mobile. Users can pair their mobile devices with the Google Chrome web client via a QR code in this desktop-friendly version, and the web client mirrors the mobile app on the computer screen. Since the web version copies exactly what it sees on the paired mobile device, it operates only if the mobile device in question has battery life. Once the phone’s battery dies out, users no longer have access to the web chat system.
MediaTek selects MIPS for LTE modems MediaTek has adopted multi-threaded MIPS I-class CPUs for smartphone LTE modems. The first device from MediaTek featuring MIPS technology is the MT6799 Helio X30 processor, which uses MIPS in its Cat-10 LTE modem. MIPS multi-threading technology provides high performance and efficiency advantages in many real-time, powersensitive applications such as LTE, artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
New i9 processors from Intel Intel has expanded its Core series of processors with nine new X-series models, none of which is likely to be in the iMac Pro. As per the company, the new chips are the ultimate platform for content creators, with up to 20 per cent better performance for virtual reality content creation. The processors released range from the fourcore i5-7640x running at 4.0GHz with a boost speed of 4.2GHz to the 18-core i9-7980XE running at 2.6GHz with a boost speed of 4.2GHz.
The prices, features and specifications are based on information provided to us, or as available on various websites and portals. EFY cannot vouch for their accuracy.
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www.efymag.com
do-it-yourself estyle
Setting Up A Wireless security camera efy bureau
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re you looking to set up security cameras and monitor your office with only a smartphone when you are away? If yes, this article is for you. Using the steps listed below, you will be able to do the setup yourself, saving those extra bucks paid to the service guy! Security cameras no longer require the long messy wires around an office premise to find the right spot for keeping a vigilant eye. Fewer the cables, lesser the cost, effort and time of installation. Given the affordable prices of wireless security cameras today, these are the most convenient product available to monitor your home or office, whether you are inside the building or on the go. Here we explain how to install a wireless security camera and set it up with your home network using your smartphone or tablet. For illustration purpose, we have used an Izon 2.0 wireless security camera. Many other options are out there in the market but the setup process is basically the same with slight variations.
What you need to get started 1. Security camera 2. USB power cable (with charger) 3. Control device (smartphone, tablet, etc) 4. Control application software provided by the manufacturer/vendor 5. Stable Wi-Fi network
The setup process 1. Select an appropriate place to position the camera. Keep in mind the detection range of the device, the radius of coverage and the available www.efymag.com
More options to choose from The Indian market offers a huge collection of wireless security cameras to choose from. A more exhaustive array of options is also available from vendors like: 1. Hikvision 2. D3D 3. Sricam 4. Smiledrive Cleverdog 5. Diycam 6. Sparsh 7. Sony IP cameras 8. D-Link Cameras 9. Foscam These are just to name a few and the list is much broader. Every product has its own USP, configuration and price range. Choose one according to your requirements. Once you have registered your cameras to your network, you can hover around your mobile application to avail options like realtime monitoring, recording, cloud storage, backup and sensor-based alerts.
Wi-Fi strength. The location should also be accessible to an input power socket. For the camera model we used, i.e., Izon 2.0, a magnetic base is provided, which is used to hold the camera 2. Take the USB charger cable, connect the mini-USB end to the appropriate port on the camera and plug into a power source for charging. An indicator LED will blink in a specific colour and pattern to indicate that the device is charging. Different status of the device display different blinking and colour patterns 3. Install the application or the software provided by the vendor to connect the security camera to the active Wi-Fi network. Download the application from the respective Playstore based on the operating system compatibility (for a smartphone as well as tablet). Here, we used the
Stem Connect mobile application. Create a user account and continue to add a camera from options in the application 4. The in-app process varies depending on the vendor’s application flow. However, the basic objective remains the same—to link the security camera to the home network. Select the camera’s hotspot as the Wi-Fi network from your phone’s Wi-Fi settings before the setup and return to application 5. You will be allowed to select your available Wi-Fi network. Provide the credentials and confirm. Change your phone’s Wi-Fi settings back to your home Wi-Fi network if you had selected the camera hotspot earlier. The device will start registering. 6. If the camera’s own network is not recognisable, an alternate approach of registering the camera to the network is available. In this case, you have to select the status of the camera device on the mobile application as depicted by the indicator light. After you confirm the device status, you are allowed to select your available Wi-Fi network. Provide the credentials and confirm 7. A scan code appears on the application screen. Follow the specific instruction mentioned on the screen to scan the code using the device. Change in indicator light will denote a successful code scan. This follows a progress bar denoting the progress of the camera’s registration with the network 8. You can find the option to add another security camera to your network through the mobile application—the process of which remains the same electronics for you | september 2017
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Buyers’ Guide estyle
The Best Wi-Fi RouteR For Your Office
I Paromik Chakraborty is a technical journalist at EFY
f you run a small business, it is advisable to hand-pick your own Wi-Fi router. While the router provided by your Internet service provider may be authentic, it might not be the right fit for your business. Routers across the globe have come a long way with significant improvements in speed capabilities, security and signal strength consistency. Router speed, signal strength and bandwidth are the key priorities for home offices. However, small businesses require a few more features as an integral part of the setup. You need to find the best match for your needs.
WPA2 AES security Not familiar with the jargons WPA or AES? Let us explain. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is a wireless network security protocol. For small offices or home office setups, WPA2 utilising 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) with pre-shared key (PSK) encryption compatibility is the most popular as well as preferable algorithm with disabled Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS). Bigger businesses go for WPA2-Enterprise, also known as RADIUS security protocol, which provides the best level of security. But the associated cost, infrastructure and maintenance requirements might not make it feasible for a small business arrangement. Other than this, good practices and security measures like active internal firewall and updated firmware can enhance the network safeguard.
Extra ports Home routers usually come with four 10x100Mbps LAN ports and one WAN port. Small businesses should look for routers with extra ports. Else, they can pick a switch to expand their networks. To expand bandwidth or ensure a working port as a backup for connectivity if the main WAN malfunctions, look for extra WAN ports to connect additional service from your ISP. That way, you can balance the load on the network when your business supports a bigger employee base. 112
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What you need Security standard: WPA2 AES PSK Scalability: Preferably additional LAN and WAN ports apart from the general four and one Network: Dual-band Wi-Fi standard: 802.11ac or at least 802.11n Antenna: At least 2x2 IP version: IPv6
Dual band to avoid network jamming Networks get painfully slow when buffering a video or opening a heavy website. That happens due to cluttering of network channels. Single-band Wi-Fi routers function at a bandwidth frequency of 2.4GHz, which provides a good coverage range; the higher the frequency value, the lower the range. But this specific bandwidth is also tapped in by other gadgets like phones and tablets. Lower channel width is jammed by multiple devices, which causes the 2.4GHz bandwidth to clutter faster. Therefore high-volume data streaming becomes slow for single-band routers. Dual-band routers can tap into two frequency bandwidths: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. While 5GHz bandwidth provides much smaller coverage area, the wider data channel allows it to transmit much larger volumes of data. Latest dual-band routers divide their data flow—maintaining the lower-volume data through the 2.4GHz frequency, while routing the higher data volume, for example in video stream or gaming, through the 5GHz frequency.
Latest 802.11 standard for best performance The IEEE Standards Association has introduced Wi-Fi standards for high network throughput. The most efficient standard at the moment is 802.11ac, which supports data throughput (data transmission rate) up to 2Gbps (depending on the number of spatial streams, each of which carries around 433Mbps of data), wireless range up to 61 metres (200 feet), and four wireless channels of www.eFYmag.com
buyers’ guide
LAN and WAN ports of a router (Image courtesy: wikimedia commons)
20MHz, 40MHz, 80MHz and 160MHz widths. Additionally, the 802.11ac (also known as 11ac) standard taps into the 5GHz bandwidth, avoiding clustered or jammed network. The cost, however, is also more. The most popular category till now, keeping in mind the cost, is the 802.11n standard (also denoted as 11n), which can offer data throughput of up to 600Mbps (considering four spatial streams, each supporting 150Mbps). It supports wireless range of up to 122 metres (400 feet) and two channel widths of 20MHz and 40MHz, and functions in the 2.4GHz bandwidth. While 11ac is the recommended Wi-Fi standard, the choice largely depends on your budget.
More antennae and MU-MIMO for stronger network The number of antennae on a router indicates the spatial streams (or channels) of data transmission. Each antenna in a router comprises a single transmitter and a single receiver end, and has a notation of its own: 1x1 implies a single antenna with one transmitter and one receiver, and is called a single-input single-output (SISO) system; 2x2 implies two antennae, each with one transmitter and one receiver, and is called a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system. Routers with a single antenna can transmit data through a single spatial stream—correlating to the 2.4GHz bandwidth. As discussed earlier, in that case, most electronic devices have a chance of interference, causing the network to slow down. 2x2 routers can tap into two spatial streams. In 11n standard routers, both antennae support 2.4GHz bandwidth, attaining a throughput of up to 300Mbps (considering each stream supports 150Mbps data at 2.4GHz). www.eFYmag.com
In comparison, in 11ac standard 2x2 routers, one stream taps into the 5GHz bandwidth, while the other works at 2.4GHz, greatly reducing the cluttering and increasing the data transmission rate from 600Mbps up to 1Gbps. Another major advantage of 11ac 2x2 or higher-standard routers is that these support multi-user MIMO (MUMIMO). To explain further, any router standard below ac, including 11n, can transmit data to only one device (single user) at a specific time interval, causing other connected devices to wait for the data, irrespective of the antenna. This results in a comparatively slow speed when multiple devices connect to the same router. On the other hand, 11ac routers can interact with multiple devices (generally four devices) simultaneously at a given instance, exponentially increasing the network experience. In simpler words, routers with more advanced IEEE standard ratings perform better.
Bonus features You may consider a few more features depending on your business requirements. For instance, check whether the router supports IPv6 for the new-generation networking. To access your business network from a distant location, VPN compatibility is required. Protocol examples include PPTP, L2TP, IPSec and so on. A router that hosts multiple service set identifiers (SSIDs) can be useful for separate guest access to the business network.
A glimpse into the market For typical needs of small offices or home offices, a single router can cost anywhere between ` 1500 and ` 4000. Some of the prominent brands include D-Link, TP-Link, Asus, Netgear, Linksys, Cisco, Binatone and Buffalo. The Internet is the backbone of businesses today. Therefore finding the right router for the purpose has no alternatives. electronics For You | september 2017
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Do-it-yourself
Simple 8-Bit Computer For Learning Vineet nayak
C
omputers take an input, process it as per a set of instructions and provide the output. These are general-purpose devices that can be programmed to carry out a set of arithmetic or logical operations automatically. Intel 8008 was the first 8-bit microprocessor for the microcomputer system. The architecture of a microprocessor seems complex, but a computer can be entirely built with TTL logic chips without using any microprocessor/controller. This project helps you build your own computer while also providing an insight into the working of a general-purpose microprocessor as well as its construction mechanism.
memory address register 4. The PC is incremented 5. The memory address register is updated with a new PC value 6. The LDI instruction loads the data in the accumulator specified by the memory address of the RAM 7. The instruction register is cleared for next instruction loading The author’s prototype with five LED bar displays is shown in Fig. 3. LED bar displays show the status of output, data, address, instruction set and state. This helps in tracking how each instruction is being executed.
selection based on the instruction is done by a decoder connected to ROM2 as shown in the circuit diagram (Fig. 2 may not be clearly visible here because of its large size so it has been included in the EFY DVD and can also be downloaded from source.efymag.com). Typically, the sequence of operation is as follows: 1. The program counter (PC) is incremented 2. The PC value is loaded in the memory address register 3. The instruction is stored in the instruction register of the RAM at the address specified by the
Architecture This 8-bit digital TTL computer is designed as per the architecture shown in Fig. 1. The entire processor circuit is powered from an SMPS as it consumes a lot of power. Voltage supply is 5V. The architecture has a common 8-bit bidirectional data/address bus. The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) consists of adder/subtractor circuit along with AND, OR, NOT and XOR gates to perform logical and arithmetical operations. The values for operation are stored in A-register (Accumulator) and B-register. The number of states and sequence of states for all the instructions are stored in the ROM. Two ROMs are used to control the sequence of operation for various modules in the system. ROMs provide 16 control lines for operation. The output and enabling of different modules are controlled by EN pins of ICs or tristate buffers. For example, the ALU output is controlled by using tristate buffer at the end of each logic output. The ALU output 114
september 2017 | electronics For You
PC TRISTATE
PROGRAM COUNTER
ACCUMU− LATOR TRISTATE BUFFER
PC REGISTER
ALU MEMORY ADDRESS REGISTER
8 BIT DATA/ ADDR BUS
MANUAL INPUT
ADDRESS MULTI− PLEXER
TRISTATE BUFFER
B−REGISTER
OUTPUT REGISTER
DISPLAY
TRISTATE RAM 4−BIT COUNTER
INSTRUCT− ION REGISTER
ROM
DECODER
TO CONTROL LINES
TO CONTROL LINES
Fig. 1: Processor architecture www.eFYmag.com
E
D
C
B
A
GND 1000
1000 R3
1000 R5
1000 R4
1000 R2
1000 R1
1000 R6
R8
1000 R7
S1 2 3 4 6 7
2
1
19
GND
R28 R28
14
18
LB10 DZ6-2
7
3
LB10 DZ6-7
13
17
12
LB10 DZ6-3
8
4
9
LB10 DZ6-8
LB10 DZ6-4
11
16
LB10 DZ6-9
5
LB10 DZ6-5
10
LB10 DZ6-10
VCC
8
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9
1
Fig. 2: Circuit of simple 8-bit computer
5
ADDRESS INPUT
1
ON
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
R29 100
IC15 4 7 9
GND
R25 100
11
12
10
1Y 2Y
4Y
1A 1B 2A 2B 3A 3B 4A 4B
S7
VR1
A/B G
ADDRESS MULTIPLEXOR
3
1
3
2 3 5 6 11 10 14 13 1 15
6 5 4 3
74LS157N
74LS173N CLR G2 G1 N M CLK Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
D4 D3 D2 D1
15 10 9 2 1 7 11 12 13 14
IC13
2
10uf
C6
GND
+
1Y
2
6
7
2Y
4Y
5 1
3
8 4
GND
CON GND
CLOCK
TRI
NE555
OUT
VCC
TRE VCC+ /RES
DIS
IC45
GND
3Y
2 3 5 6 11 10 14 13
1A 1B 2A 2B 3A 3B 4A 4B
MEMORY ADDRESS REGISTER
GND
GND
IC9
IC16
9 12
GND
9
GND
27 22 20 26
74LS157N
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 25 24 21 23 2
100
1 15
A/B G
R27 VCC
14 13 12 11
74LS173N CLR G2 G1 N M CLK 6 5 4 3
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
D4 D3 D2 D1
15 10 9 2 1 7
1
3
RAM
WE OE CS1 CS2
A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12
S8
2
VSS
NC
VCC
I/O1 I/O2 I/O3 I/O4 I/O5 I/O6 I/O7 I/O8
2
2
1
CLOCK ENABLE
1000
1000 R20
1000 R17
1000 R16
1000 R15
1000 R14
R19
1000 R13
1000 R18
74LS08N
IC46A
VCC
GND
14
28
1
11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19
B-REGISTER
3
1 2 3 5 7
VCC
8
0.01uf
C5
6
GND
4
DATA INPUT
ON
1 19
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
5 16
11
12
LB10 DZ3-5
10
9
19
14
LB10 DZ3-10
LB10 DZ3-9
2
LB10 DZ1-2
7
17
LB10 DZ2-7
4
13
18
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8
LB10 DZ3-4
8
3
LB10 DZ2-8
DIR G
74LS245N LB10 DZ1-3
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8
RAM TRISTATE IC23
D4 D3 D2 D1
15 10 9 2 1 7
D1 D2 D3 D4
D1 D2 D3 D4
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
J4 J3 J2 J1
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
U/D B/D PE CI CLK
CO
3 4 5 6
3 4 5 6
10 9 1 5 15 3 13 12 4
IC3 VCC
11 12 13 14
R21
100
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
GND
GND
ACCUMULATOR
1
11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19
3
CE OE WE
A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12
IC19
AT28c64
ROM1
RDY/B
D0 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7
D4 D3 D2 D1
4029N
2 14 11 6
15 10 9 2 1 7
J4 J3 J2 J1
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
U/D B/D PE CI CLK
CO
10 9 1 5 15 3 13 12 4
IC2
11 12 13 14
IC22
20 22 27
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 25 24 21 23 2
GND
GND
INSTRUCTION REGISTER
GND
20 22 27
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 25 24 21 23 2
RESET1
D4 D3 D2 D1
15 10 9 2 1 7
GND
IC6
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
PROGRAM COUNTER TRISTATE
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
74LS173N CLR G2 G1 N M CLK
VCC 6 5 4 3
1 19
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
DIR G
74LS245N
11 12 13 14
IC11
ROM2
RDY/B
CE OE WE
AT28c64
D0 D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6 D7
A0 A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 A9 A10 A11 A12
IC18
3 13 12 4
J4 J3 J2 J1
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
CLK M N G1 G2 CLR
74LS173N
11 12 13 14
2 14 11 6
15 10 9 2 1 7
PROGRAM COUNTER
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
CLR G2 G1 N M CLK 6 5 4 3
IC8
11 12 13 14
D4 D3 D2 D1
4029N 10 9 1 5 15
U/D B/D PE CI CLK
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
PROGRAM COUNTER REGISTER
D4 D3 D2 D1
4029N
7
GND
74LS173N
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
CO
2 14 11 6
GND
1
11 12 13 15 16 17 18 19
IC24
GND
C4
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8
4
0.01uf
100
R24
74LS245N
DIR G
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8
IC20
16
19
18
RESET3
1 19
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 5
14
LB10 DZ4-5
2
17
LB10 DZ4-2
3
13
LB10 DZ4-3
7
12
LB10 DZ4-7
4
11
LB10 DZ4-4
8
9
LB10 DZ4-8
GND
LB10 DZ4-9
10
LB10 DZ4-10
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
DIR G
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
100
R12
ACCUMULATOR TRISTATE
GND
RESET2
GND
GND
A B C D
RAM WRITE
GND
DECODER 1
+
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11
O0 O1 O2 O3 O4 O5 O6 O7 O8 O9
100
R22 47uf
+ C1
GND
IC47 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8
74LS86N 2 3 1
1 19
DIR G
IC27A
IC31A
GND
OUTPUT REGISTER
GND
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
IC5
1 3
74LS86N
2
5
74LS08N IC28A
ALU
GND
IC31B 1
74LS86N
3 2
5 6 4
74LS08N 4 6 5
2 3 1
74LS08N IC28B
IC32A
IC21
4
74LS86N
6 5
10 8
GND
DECODER 2
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
9
74LS08N IC27C
IC31C 9
74LS86N
7 6 5
7 6 5
GND
8 10
13
A
A
12
1 19
74LS08N
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
5
SEMYORKA-8800 8-BIT DIGITAL COMPUTER
1 19
74LS245N
15 14 13 12
74LS42N
IC7 14 13 12 11
D1 D2 D3 D4
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
8
1
5 6
74LS245N
4 7 1 2 9 10 15
CLK M N G1 G2 CLR
9
DZ1-9 LB10
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8
1 19
DIR G
74LS245N 11
DIR G
74LS245N IC31D
IC27D
A
74LS85N
A0 A1 A2 A3 B0 B1 B2 B3
IC35
A0 A1 A2 A3 B0 B1 B2 B3
A
74LS86N
12 11
13
IC36
74LS85N
74LS42N
4
S4
3
GND
GND
IC44
2
2
1uf
C3
2
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
IC10
0.01uf
2
2
VCC 1
1
5
3 4 5 6
7
6
DZ1-6 LB10
74LS173N
4
DZ1-4 LB10
14 13 12 11
D1 D2 D3 D4
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
10
DZ1-10 LB10 12
IC27B
IC32B 74LS86N
IC42 B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8
15 14 13 12
A B C D
O0 O1 O2 O3 O4 O5 O6 O7 O8 O9
CLK M N G1 G2 CLR
74LS173N
IC4 14 13 12 11 7 1 2 9 10 15
74LS173N
16 15 14 13 12 11 10 9
7 1 2 9 10 15
11 12 13 14
IC14
IC17
0.01uf
GND
12
DZ5-9 LB10
3Y
2
DZ5-10 LB10
R28 100k 1
VCC
4 7
R26 100
C7
GND
CLR G2 G1 N M CLK 6 5 4 3
S2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
74LS173N CLR G2 G1 N M CLK 6 5 4 3
IC12
7
74LS173N
C8
VCC 1
15 10 9 2 1 7
CLR G2 G1 N M CLK
VCC
6 5 4 3
7
S6 R10 100
IC1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
GND
S5 VCC 1
C2
0.01uf S3 100 R23
16
DZ1-5 LB10 14
DZ1-7 LB10 15
13
7 1 2 9 10 15
CLK M N G1 G2 CLR
DZ1-8 LB10 17
20
3 4 5 6
DZ1-1 LB10 11
R9 100
74LS173N
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
IC43 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11
13
11 12
2 3 4
10 12 13 15 9 11 14 1
2 3 4
10 12 13 15 9 11 14 1
74LS08N
GND
IC32D 74LS86N
IC28C 9
10
8
8 10
9
IC32C
74LS08N
74LS86N
IC28D 2
12
3
11 13
6
6
1
IC33A
74LS08N
74LS86N IC29A
2 3
1 1
IC38 9 6 2 15
S1 S2 S3 S4
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8
14
C4
74LS32N IC29B 4
5
6 5
4
IC34B
74LS32N IC29C
74LS86N
9
13
C0
8
5 10
6 4
74LS83N IC37 GND
1 19
S1 S2 S3 S4
74LS32N IC29D
IC33B 10 8 3 1
A1 A2 A3 A4
12
74LS86N
IC39
11 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
13
10 8 9
74LS32N IC30D 13
74LS86N
12
IC33C
11 10
13
C0
8
74LS32N IC30C
9
GND
C4
3 2
IC34A 74LS86N 6
11 7 4 16
B1 B2 B3 B4
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8 DIR G
10 8 3 1
A1 A2 A3 A4
IC41 18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
9 6 2 15
74LS245N
11 7 4 16
B1 B2 B3 B4 14
9
74LS83N IC34C
1 19
8 10
74LS86N
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
DIR G
74LS245N
IC30A
12
74LS32N
13 11 1
IC34D
3 2
74LS86N 13
74LS32N IC30B
11
7
4
7
12
6
IC33D
5
74LS32N IC25C 5
6
74LS04N IC26B 3
4
74LS04N IC25B 3
4
IC40
74LS04N 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
IC26A 1
2
74LS04N IC25F 13
12
GND
74LS04N IC25D
1 19
8
A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7 A8
B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6 B7 B8
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 11
DIR G
74LS245N
74LS04N 2
74LS04N IC25E 10
74LS04N
8
8
SEMYORKA-8800 8-BIT DIGITAL
Date: 2/27/2017 2:43 PM
AUTHOR : VINEET NAYAK
Document Number:
TITLE:
9
IC25A 1
11
Do-it-yourself Circuit and working As can be seen from Fig. 2, inputs to the accumulator, B-register, output register, PC register and memory address register are fed through the 8-bit parallel address/data bus. The input to the ALU is provided by the accumulator and B-register. The ALU outputs to the bus via tristate buffers. The accumulator also outputs to the bus via tristate buffer 74LS245N. The tristate buffers are controlled by enable (G) pin. The PC register output is fed to the program counter, providing the value to be loaded in the counter. The PC outputs to the bus via a tristate buffer. The memory address register outputs to the multiplexer. The multiplexer output is fed to address pins of the RAM (CY6264). Input/output pins of the RAM are connected to the bus via the tristate buffer (IC23). The DIR and G pins of the tristate buffer are controlled based on the instruction and data flow. The 4-bit LSB of the bus is fed to the instruction register (74LS173N). The inputs to the counter (CD4029N) are grounded. The outputs of the instruction register and the counter are connected to the address pins of ROMs (AT28C64). The ROM outputs are connected to enable pins of various ICs to control the data flow based on the state and instruction. The functions of different modules in the architecture are as follows: Program counter. The program counter provides the computer with the current address of the instruction to be executed. Memory address register. The memory address register (MAR) stores the current address for the byte to be read or written from the memory. Multiplexer. The multiplexer allows selection of address either from the MAR (in run mode) or the manual input (programming mode). 116
september 2017 | electronics For You
Table I
ROM COnTROl PIns ROM1
ROM2
D0
Program counter clock enable
D0
Instruction register reset
D1
Program counter tristate enable
D1
ALU decoder pin 1
D2
Memory address register clock enable
D2
ALU decoder pin 2
D3
Instruction register clock enable
D3
ALU decoder pin 3
D4
RAM tristate enable
D4
PC load register clock enable
D5
Accumulator clock enable
D5
RAM tristate data direction select
D6
Accumulator tristate enable
D6
Program counter load data
D7
B-register clock enable
D7
Output register clock enable
Fig. 3: Author’s prototype
Instruction register. The instruction register of a computer stores the current instruction that is being executed. During the computer’s operation, the value stored in instruction register is the instruction opcode. It forms the four bits of middle-value address (A4-A7) for ROMs. The counter for the next state provides the four bits of LSB (A0-A3) for ROMs. The 3-bit output from the comparator (74LS85N) forms the MSB (A8-A10). Thus, the address (A0-A10) is fed to the two ROMs to generate the control logic for different modules. Output register. It stores the value of the accumulator and displays the result. Clock. The clock pulse is generated by an NE555 timer chip configured in astable mode.
ROM control The two ROMs along with a 3-to-8 line decoder (74LS42N) provide a total of 18 control lines that control, enable or reset different parts of the computer. These control the clock enable pins of chips, thus controlling the data/instruction flow between various parts of the computer. The decoder output controls the tristates of the ALU controlling the data flow of the ALU result into the bus. The ROM address is fed by the instruction register and counter. The data against the address for each state in the ROM is provided through the control lines or input/ output pins. The functions of ROM control (I/O) pins, as per the schematic in Fig. 2, are listed in Table I. www.eFYmag.com
Do-it-yourself Table II
InsTRuCTIOn seTs
Table III
sequenCe Of OPeRaTIOn
Opcode
Instruction
Data
Description
address
Data
Code
Remarks
0001
LDI
Load the immediate value to the accumulator
00000001
00000001
LDI
Instruction
00000010
00101101
45
Data
00000011
00000010
NOT
Instruction
00000100
00000010
ADD
Instruction
00000101
00100010
34
Data
00000110
00001110
OUT
Instruction
00000111
1000
NOP
Instruction
0010
NOT
—
Perform NOT operation on the value stored in the accumulator and store the result in the accumulator
0011
AND
Perform AND operation on the value stored in the accumulator and the immediate value, and store the result in the accumulator
0100
OR
Perform OR operation on the value stored in the accumulator and the immediate value, and store the result in the accumulator
0101
XOR
Perform XOR operation on the value stored in the accumulator and the immediate value, and store the result in the accumulator
0110
ADD
Perform ADD operation on the value stored in the accumulator and the immediate value, and store the result in the accumulator
0111
SUB
Perform SUB operation on the value stored in the accumulator and the immediate value, and store the result in the accumulator.
1000
NOP
—
No operation, halt CPU
1001
LDA
Load the value stored in the address location to the accumulator
1010
STO
Store the accumulator value to the address location specified in the immediate value
1011
JPE
Jump the PC to memory location ‘immediate+1’ if the accumulator value is equal to B-register’s value
1100
JPG
Jump the PC to memory location ‘immediate+1’ if the accumulator value is greater than of B-register
1101
JPL
Jump the PC to memory location ‘immediate+1’ if the value of the accumulator is less than of B-register
1110
OUT
—
Output value is stored in the accumulator
1111
B-REG
Store the immediate value in B-register
Programming Programming this computer is simple. There are two on/off switches (S8 for clock on/off and S7 for program/run mode selection), four pushbutton switches (S3 through S6) and two 8-bit DIP switches (one for address and the other for data). S3, S5 and S6 are reset switches, while S4 is RAMwrite switch. Toggle switch S7 to ‘program’ mode. The LED connected to it should turn off. Switch the clock to ‘off’ mode. Switch 8-bit address to the first address (0b00000001) and set the data DIP switch to the instruction/data to be written on the address. Press RAM-write switch www.eFYmag.com
S4 to load data onto the address. Similarly, repeat the process for successive code lines. After entering all the codes/inputs, toggle program/run switch S7 to ‘run’ mode. Reset switches S3, S5 and S6 to clear all the LEDs. Press switch S8 on the clock to start computation. The maximum number of code lines that can be written for this project is 255. Various instruction sets are listed in Table II. Example. The following code loads 45 in the accumulator, performs NOT operation on it, ADDs 34 to the result, displays the output and halts: LDI 45 NOT
ADD 34 OUT NOP The sequence of operation is as follows: 1. Stop the clock mode 2. Clear all resets (press reset 1→ 2→3→1 or press S6→S3→S5→ S6) 3. Switch S7 to ‘program’ mode 4. Set address to 00000001 using DIP switch 5. Set data DIP switch to value 00000001 6. Press RAM-write button S4 7. Set address DIP switch to next address 00000010 8. Set data DIP switch to value 00101101(binary for 45) 9. Press RAM-write switch S4 10. Repeat it until the NOP (00001000) is set in the RAM 11. Switch S7 to ‘run’ mode 12. Start the clock using switch S8 The sequence of operation is shown in Table III. LDI instruction flow diagram (not shown here) is included in the EFY DVD of this month.
ROM code The address from the instruction register, counter and comparator is fed to the two ROMs. The ROM code is provided in a separate file in the EFY DVD. Burn the exact code into ROM1 and ROM2. For details on burning the ROM code, refer the datasheet of AT28C64. All the ROM address fields must be filled with the following values to ensure there is no garbage electronics For You | september 2017
117
Do-it-yourself Parts List Semiconductors: IC1, IC2, IC3 - CD4029N up/down counter IC4-IC14 - 74LS173N 4-bit D-type register with tristate outputs IC15, IC16 - 74LS157N quad 2-line to 1-line multiplexer IC17 - CY6264 8k × 8 static RAM - AT28C64 EEPROM IC18, IC19 IC20-IC24, IC39-IC42, IC47 - 74LS245N tristate octal bus transceiver IC25, IC26 - 74LS04N hex inverter IC27, IC28, IC46 - 74LS08N quad 2-input AND gate IC29, IC30 - 74LS32N quad 2-input OR gate IC31-IC34 - 74LS86N quad 2-input exclusive OR gate IC35, IC36 - 74LS85N 4-bit magnitude comparator - 74LS83N 4-bit binary full IC37, IC38 adder with fast carry - 74LS42N BCD to decimal IC43, IC44 decoder IC45 - NE555 timer Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon): R1-R8, R13-R20 - 1-kilo-ohm R9-R12, - 100-ohm R21-R28 VR1 - 100-kilo-ohm potmeter Capacitors: C1 - 47µF, 16V electrolytic C2, C4, C5, C7, C8 - 0.01µF ceramic - 1µF, 16V electrolytic C3 C6 - 10µF, 16V electrolytic Miscellaneous: - 8-pin DIP switch S1, S2 S3-S6 - Tactile switch S7, S8 - On/off switch - 5×8-bit LED DIP array - Computer power supply (SMPS) - Wires and jumpers - 8×2-pin connector terminal
value for any random ROM address: ROM1 ROM2 0b11111111 0b10110001
Challenges faced during project design and development 1. Designing the CPU architecture required logic implementation for modules and blocks 2. Programming the ROM for control logics during state change of a particular instruction 3. Fan In and Fan Out issues while driving logic signals in multiple chips 4. Noise and signal inductance issues in the circuit 5. Determining the minimum states 118
september 2017 | electronics For You
efy Note
The source code and complete circuit diagram (Fig. 2) of this project are included in this month’s EFY DVD and are also available for free download at source. efymag.com
required for each instruction and modifying the architecture accordingly 6. Determining the sequence of operation for clearing different modules 7. Issues of common address/data bus architecture 8. Prototyping complex logic on the PCB/breadboard
Advantages of the project 1. Helps gain an understanding of the working of a microprocessor (all modules and instruction flow between modules) 2. Useful substitute for microprocessor trainer boards 3. Programming (feeding instructions and data) is easier 4. Clock speed can be adjusted to monitor instruction/data flow in the computer 5. Multiple displays provide the CPU information 6. In case of malfunction, IC replacement is cheaper and easier 7. A perfect kit for hobbyists and computer enthusiasts interested in retro programming/computing
Disadvantages 1. Instruction set limited to only 16 2. Displays are LED bar type, not 7-segment/readable 3. Input is through DIP switches, which is not very user-friendly 4. Program needs to be written every time the CPU goes off 5. Maximum result is 255 (8-bit only) Vineet Nayak is an electronics hobbyist, currently working as assistant manager (R&D) at Maruti Suzuki India Ltd, Gurugram
www.eFYmag.com
Do-it-yourself
Program arduino With Your Android Device
Sa Th ni eo
Varun Kumar
A
s you may already know, using a USB OTG (on-the-go) adaptor, you can connect pen drives, game controllers, etc to your Android device. This adaptor can also be used to power small devices like Arduino boards from Android devices. However, given the processing power of today’s Android mobile devices, these could be used to do much more than just powering up Arduino prototypes. Realising this, Anton Smirnov created a fullfledged Arduino IDE for Android. Called ArduinoDroid, it has features almost identical to those of IDEs
available for PC, and even better in some cases. This article explains how you can program an Arduino board using ArduinoDroid app on your Android device like a smartphone or tablet.
Requirements To get started, you need an Arduino board, an Android phone that supports USB OTG and has ArduinoDroid app installed on it, and OTG cable. Most of the necessary features like open/edit Arduino sketches, libraries and example sketches, code syntax highlighting, compile sketches and upload sketches are available in the
Fig. 1: Essential icons of ArduinoDroid app
free version of ArduinoDroid app. But if you don’t want advertisem*nt banners, colour themes and non-essential features like dropbox support, smart engine and smart keyboard, the paid version is the way to go.
Fig. 2: Editor
Fig. 3: Output section www.efymag.com
Fig. 4: Selecting the Arduino board
Interface Interface is pretty clean, not cluttered with tabs and buttons. Top row consists of icons of essential features like save, compile, download and console (serial monitor) as shown in Fig. 1. Then around 50 per cent of the screen area is allocated to Editor and Navigator on the upper side and Diagnostics and Output windows on the bottom side.
How it works Write/modify your desired sketch in Editor section as shown in Fig. 2. Compile it by pressing the icon next to save icon. Wait for a while, it might take some time, depending on your sketch and the mobile device. Then check the output section at the bottom for any error/warning as shown in Fig. 3. If there is no error, you can upload your sketch on the Arduino board. Connect Arduino to your mobile device using USB OTG. Select the desired board from the options under Settings→Board type (as shown in Fig. 4, where Arduino Duemilanove with ATmega328 option is selected). Now click ‘Upload’ to upload the sketch into Arduino.
Varun Kumar is an electronics hobbyist
electronics for you | september 2017
119
. S.C Di e v i Dw
Do-it-yourself
Build Your Own Stereo Amplifier Using TDA2822 Raj K. GoRKhali
H
potmeters (VR1 and VR2) and two speakers. The circuit works off 3V DC. However, you can use up to 6V DC. The circuit diagram is straightforward. The left speaker (LS1) is connected to output pin 1 of IC1 through electrolytic capacitor C3. The right speaker (LS2) is connected Circuit and working to output pin 3 through electrolytic capacitor C4. Pins 5 and 8 are tied Circuit diagram of the stereo audio together and connected to ground amplifier is shown in Fig. 1. In addivia electrolytic capacitor C1. Pins 7 tion to IC TDA2822M (IC1), it uses and 6 are input pins and connected four capacitors (C1 through C4), two to potmeters VR1 and VR2, respecC2 CON1 2 VR1 10u tively. VR1 and C3 FOR Vcc 10K 7 100u 25V 3V VR2 work as left+IN(1) 25V 1 and right-channel OUT(1) L 8 LS1 GND −IN(1) volume controls, 4−OHM,1W IC1 R SPEAKER TDA2822M respectively. Pin 2 CON2 6 +IN(2) 3 is connected to 3V FOR OUT(2) VR2 LS2 AUDIO C4 DC supply and pin 5 10K −IN(2) 4−OHM,1W INPUT 100u C1 4 is connected to GND SPEAKER 25V 1u 4 ground. Electrolytic 25V capacitor C2 conFig. 1: Circuit of the stereo audio amplifier using TDA2822M nected across 3V and ground works as a filter capacitor. Connect audio signal input from your mobile to CON2, and connect 3V DC supply across CON1. Both speakers produce the same audio output after amplifying the signal from IC1.
ere is a simple stereo amplifier that can be used to amplify audio from mobile devices. IC TDA2822M used in the circuit comes in an 8-pin DIP package and is readily available in the market.
Fig. 2: Actual-size PCB layout of stereo audio amplifier using TDA2822M
Construction and testing
Fig. 3: Components layout for the PCB
An actual-size PCB layout of the stereo audio amplifier using TDA2822M is shown in Fig. 2 and its components layout in Fig. 3. After assembling the circuit, enclose it in a suitable box. Fix potmeters VR1 and VR2 on the front panel of the box for left and right volume
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Parts List Semiconductors: IC1 - TDA2822M dual power amplifier Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon): VR1, VR2 - 10-kilo-ohm potmeter Capacitors: C1 - 1µF, 25V electrolytic C2 - 10µF, 25V electrolytic - 100µF, 25V electrolytic C3, C4 Miscellaneous: CON1 - 2-pin terminal connector CON2 - 3-pin connector LS1, LS2 - 4-ohm, 1W speaker - 3V battery (two 1.5V pencil cells) - 2-pin terminal connectors for LS1 and LS2 - 8-pin IC socket
control, respectively. On the PCB, use an 8-pin IC socket for TDA2822M so that you can easily remove the IC during troubleshooting.
Calibration and adjustment For calibration, take a 3V battery; you can use two 1.5V pencil cells and put them in a battery holder. Now, connect speakers to output connectors LS1 and LS2 marked on the PCB. Set potmeters VR1 and VR2 to their middle position. Take a metal screwdriver and gently touch on input pin 6 or 7 of IC1. You should hear a humming sound from left and right speakers when the screwdriver is touched at left and right inputs, respectively. Slowly adjust VR1 clockwise until you hear a loud humming sound from the left speaker. Similarly, adjust VR2 for the right speaker. Now your stereo amplifier is working and ready for use! Raj K. Gorkhali is a regular contributor to EFY who takes keen interest in designing electronics circuits
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Do-it-yourself
eti Pre a & t k Bha theo i n a S
High-Fidelity FM TransMiTTer Joy MukherJi
F
M broadcasting is radio broadcasting using frequency modulation technology. In order to attain high-fidelity broadcast of music and speech, all audio frequencies up to 15kHz must be transmitted. The low-power transParts List Semiconductors: IC1 - 74AC74 dual D-type flip-flop with preset and clear IC2 - 7805, 5V regulator IC3, IC5 - CD4060 ripple-carry binary counter IC4 - CD4046 phase-locked loop IC6 - LM386 low-power audio amplifier LED1 - 5mm LED - BB910 varactor diode D1 T1, T3 - PN2222A npn transistor - 2N3904 npn transistor T2 Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon): R1, R2, R10 - 22-kilo-ohm - 220-ohm R3 R4, R5, R6, R9 - 10-kilo-ohm R7, R12, R13 - 2.2-kilo-ohm R8, R11, R17, R19 - 100-kilo-ohm - 47-kilo-ohm R14 R15, R16 - 33-kilo-ohm R18 - 330-ohm VR1 - 470-kilo-ohm potmeter - 10-kilo-ohm potmeter VR2 Capacitors: C1, C7, C9-C11, C14, C23 - 100nF ceramic disk C2 - 330pF ceramic disk - 10pF ceramic disk C3 C4 - 2.2pF ceramic disk - 3pF ceramic disk C5 C6, C8 - 100µF, 25V electrolytic - 220µF, 25V electrolytic C12, C20 C13 - 22µF, 25V electrolytic - 10µF, 25V electrolytic C15-C17 C18 - 2.2µF, 25V electrolytic C19 - 1000pF ceramic disk - 22pF ceramic disk C21, C22 VC1 - 50pF trimmer Miscellaneous: - 100µH, 2-hole balun ferrite core RFC1 RFC2, RFC3 - 330µH readymade axial inductor L1 - 5T 20 SWG 8mm dia. air core spread over 1.2 or 1.5cm. Tap at 1/2T from V+ JACK1, JACK2 - Audio input jacks XTAL1 - 12MHz crystal oscillator BATT.1 - 12V battery or 12V DC power supply ANT.1 - 78cm single-strand wire as antenna
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Fig. 1: Author’s prototype wired on a copper clad sheet
ANTENNA
Circuit and working
The author’s prototype of the high-fidelity FM transmitter R AUDIO circuit wired on a copper clad PRESCALER INPUT sheet is shown in Fig. 1. Block VHF LOOP CRYSTAL diagram and circuit are shown FILTER OSC/REF in Figs 2 and 3, respectively. FREQUENCY CMOS The circuit is built around dual 750KHz PLL DIVIDER D-type positive-edge-triggered COMPARA− TOR flip-flop 74AC74 (IC1), ripplecarry binary counter CD4060 Fig. 2: Block diagram of the high-fidelity FM transmitter (IC3 and IC5), low-power audio amplifier LM386 (IC6), phase-locked loop CD4046 (IC4), 5V Test Points voltage regulator 7805 (IC2) and a few other components. Test point Details Transistor T1 along with resis0V (GND) TP0 tors R1, R2 and R3, capacitors C2 TP1 12V and C5, coil L1, trimmer capacitor TP2 5V VC1, and varactor diode D1 forms a Amplified audio signal TP3 voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) TP4 3.6V-4.2V in Pierce configuration. IC1 acts RF OUT 96MHz as a VHF prescaler and divides the ‘On’ when frequency is locked LED1 oscillator frequency by a factor of 4. Low-level RF output is taken via half-turn tap off L1 and fed to pin mitter presented here achieves that 3 of IC1 via C3 and to antenna via using simple and readily available C4. The 24MHz (96MHz/4) output components. Its output frequency is from the prescaler is further divided locked to 96MHz using the phaseby 32 by binary counter IC3. This locked loop (PLL) approach. L
AUDIO AMPLIFIER
RF OSCILLATOR
www.eFYmag.com
Do-it-yourself TP2 TP1
IC2 7805
1
C8 C9 100u 100n 25V
BATT.1 12V
3
C6 100u 25V
C7 100n
2
ANT.1
R18 330E
RF OUT R4 96MHz 10K
RFC1 100u
C1 100n
2
C4 2.2p
4
C18 2.2u,25V
JACK 1
R16 33K
AUDIO LEVEL
L
3
VR2 10k
1
3
C19 1000p
AUDIO INPUT
R1 22K
6 8
IC6 LM386
2
5
7
R JACK 2
4
R15 33K
C23 100n
C20 220u 25V
12 10
C2 330p
D1 BB910
11
T1 PN2222A
C5 3p
R2 22K
1 7
2
Q5
5
3
Q6
4
4
Q4 16
12
R6 10K
RFC3 330u
VR1 470K
11
9
C10 100n
10
8
V DD
RESET
01
IC3 CD4060
00
PCP_OUT
Vss
T2 2N3904 TP0
VDD
PC1
ZENER
COMP_IN
SIG_IN
14
VCO_OUT
PC2
IC4 R2 CD4046
Q7
6
5 INH
Q8
14
6 C1A
R1
Q9
13
7 C1B
SF_OUT
Q10
15
Q12
1
Q13
2
Q14
3
8
16 15
Vss
VCO_IN
_
00
1PRE FF1 1Q 1CLK 1CLR
6
IC1 74AC74 2D
2Q
2PRE FF2
2Q
R3 220E
9 8
2CLK 2CLR GND
7
R5 10K
GND
C11 100n
C12 220u,25V
5
13
R12 2.2K RFC2 330u
14
1Q
1
C3 10p
VC1 50p
TP3
C14 100n
C13 22u,25V
R17 100K
L1 5T
Vcc 1D
C16 R11 10u,25V 100K
R10 22K
Q4 16
V DD
12
RESET
11
01
12 11 10
R7 2.2K
XTAL1 12MHZ
R19 100K
9
LED1 LOCK
9
10
C15 10u 25V
C17 10u,25V
13
R8 100K
R9 10K
R13 2.2K
R14 47K
TP4
T3 PN2222A
C21 22p
C22 22p
8
00
IC5 CD4060
7
Q5
5
Q6
4
Q7
6
Q8
14
Q9
13
Q10
15
_
00 Vss
Q12
1
Q13
2
Q14
3
Fig. 3: Circuit of the high-fidelity FM transmitter
signal is available at its pin 5 (Q5). IC5 is used as a reference oscillator for the PLL, which generates a stable frequency of 750kHz at its pin 7. IC4 compares the two 750kHz signals presented to its pins 3 and 14, then decides the greatest frequency. The result is available at its pin 13, which switches between 12V and 0V. Pin 13 of IC4 is coupled to a long time-constant filter formed by R10 and C16. C16 charges to the average DC voltage and so provides a control voltage to the transmitter’s oscillator 124
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frequency control circuit, and varactor diode via R11 and R14. R13 and C17 form another filter. Both filters have damping resistors, R12 and R13, to reduce the control loop’s gain. Without these resistors the control circuit would overcorrect a frequency error, causing a larger and opposite frequency error. The error signal from pin 13 of IC4 is filtered and coupled back to the varactor diode to correct the frequency. In effect, the oscillator is stabilised and referenced to a
12MHz crystal, giving the crystal stability. The oscillator, however, can still be modulated to ±75kHz (wide-band frequency modulation) with an audio signal. This would have been impossible if a crystal directly controlled the oscillator. When the transmitter is initially switched on, allow a couple of seconds for the frequency to settle. This is a little annoying, but it allows the transmitter modulating frequency to be as low as 10Hz. The stereo audio input is taken from audio jacks JACK1 and JACK2 www.eFYmag.com
Do-it-yourself Connect a piece of wire (78cm long) to the RF output as an antenna. You may use an external RF amplifier at RF output to amplify the signal to 1W level.
Construction and testing An actual-size PCB layout of the high-fidelity FM transmitter is shown in Fig. 4 and its components layout in Fig. 5. House the transmitter in a small plastic box. Keep all leads as short as possible. Use good-quality shielded cable for input audio connections. 12V DC regulated hum-free power supply is recommended. The operating frequency of the transmitter is 96MHz. Set VR2 to minimum and adjust VC1 for a reading of 3.6V to 4.2V at test point TP4. VR1 is biasing control for transistor T2 and should be set in the middle position. LED1 should light up to indicate a frequency lock at 96MHz. Feed audio signal at JACK1 or JACK2. This signal will be transmitted at 96MHz via antenna ANT.1. Tune the FM receiver to 96MHz. You should be able to hear the transmitted signal in your FM receiver. You can also use your mobile phone if it has inbuilt FM receiver. Vary VR1, VR2 and VC1 for adjustment. For test points and troubleshooting, refer to test points table.
Fig. 4: Actual-size PCB layout of the high-fidelity FM transmitter
Fig. 5: Components layout for the PCB
and combined in R15 and R16. VR2 is audio-level control. The amplified audio frequency (AF) from IC6
is fed to the varactor diode via R17 and C23 for frequency modulation of the RF signal.
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Joy Mukherji is an electronics hobbyist who likes designing radio-frequency circuits
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Do-it-yourself
. S.C Di ive w D
Battery Charger And DisCharger Using Usb Power supply
128
LED5 B4
R17 470K R16 470K R15 470K R14 470K
IC1 TL431
VR1 10K R9 10K
R8 300E
LED4
D4 1N4007 R4 30E,1W
R7 300E LED3 CON5
R3 30E,1W
R6 300E LED2 CON4
R2 30E,1W
D2 1N4007
D3 1N4007
10K R5 300E LED1 CON3
Fig. 1: Circuit of battery charger and discharger with USB power supply
J4
J3
J2
J1 BATT.4 1.2V BUC R13 10K
CON9
BATT.3 1.2V R12 BUC 10K
OUTPUT2
CON8
CON7 R28 33E R11 10K
LED6
LED7 R25 3.3K B3 B2 B1
B1 − B4 = FOR 2.5V, 200mA BULB
GND 11
OUT3 8
9 IN3 IN2
OUT2
6
5
R20 2.2M
7
A3
IN3
IN2
A2
IC2 IN4 LM324
10
12
13 IN4
A4
IN1
3
IN1 2
R21 2.2M BATT.2 1.2V BUC
R27 33E OUTPUT1
BATT.1 1.2V BUC R10
D1 1N4007 R1 30E,1W
A1
14
4 Vcc
OUT4
OUT1 1
BUC = BATTERY UNDER CHARGE
september 2017 | electronics For You
CON11 FOR USB2
Vcc D− D+ GND LED8 R24 3.3K
R23 3.3K
R22 3.3K
R30 OUTPUT3 33E
R18 2.2M
R19 2.2M
R29 33E
LED9
OUTPUT4
GND
CON1 FOR 5V R26 2.2K
C2 100u 25V C1 100n CON2
CON2 − CON9 = FOR VOLTMETER
CON6
Circuit and working Circuit of the battery charger and discharger with USB power supply is shown in Fig. 1. It is built around four 30-ohm, 1-watt resistors (R1 through R4), four 1N4007 diodes (D1 through D4), nine LEDs (LED1 through LED9), a TL431 shunt regulator (IC1), an LM324 quadruple op-amp (IC2), four 2.5V, 200mA small bulbs and a few other components. Charger. All the four batteries (Batt.1 through Batt.4) are charged independently but simultaneously. The total charging current is below 500mA, which is the maximum current for many USB ports. Many Ni-Cd chargers charge batteries only in series-connected pairs of two or four. The status of
Vcc D− D+ GND
G
adgets like electronic toys and musical players commonly use 1.2V rechargeable batteries in capacities ranging from 200mAh to 2800mAh, which need to be charged and maintained regularly. Here we present a simple and low-cost device that can charge or discharge up to four 1.2V rechargeable batteries simultaneously with maximum current of around 100mA per battery. As the device uses USB power, it doesn’t require any external power supply.
CON10 FOR USB1
Petre tzv Petrov
www.eFYmag.com
Do-it-yourself batteries connected in series can be different and batteries may need to be charged with different currents, up to different maximum voltages and for different time durations. Unlike many chargers, this charger can be used to charge any number of batteries from one to four simultaneously. The charging current for all the batteries can be monitored individually with voltmeters connected in parallel across resistors R1 through R4. Connectors CON2 through CON5 serve this purpose. The approximate charging current can be calculated as: I = (measured voltage/30 ohms) amperes Here, suppose you measure voltage U1=2.7V over resistor R1, U2=3V over resistor R2, U3=2.4V over resistor R3 and U4=3V over resistor R4. With these values, you get charging currents as I1=90mA, I2=100mA, I3=80mA and I4=100mA. The charging current depends on the electric charge available in the battery. Refer the respective datasheets of batteries in order to know their charging current and the maximum allowed voltage. The batteries can be of different types and with different initial charge because each battery is charged individually. The status of all the batteries is monitored by individual comparators in IC2 and the results displayed individually by LED5 through LED8. Using preset VR1, you can set the reference voltage of all the four comparators to an appropriate level, say, 1.5V. The maximum reference voltage (2.5V) is set by IC1. Comparator A4 of IC2 monitors Batt.1, A3 monitors Batt.2, A2 monitors Batt.3 and A1 monitors Batt.4. So, for example, if the voltage of Batt.1 is higher than the preset voltage, LED8 will glow. Discharger. Sometimes you need to manually discharge the www.eFYmag.com
Parts List Semiconductors: IC1 - TL431 shunt regulator IC2 - LM324 quad op-amp D1-D4 - 1N4007 rectifier diode LED1-LED9 - 5mm LED Resistors (all 1/4-watt, ±5% carbon, unless stated otherwise): R1-R4 - 30-ohm, 1-watt R5-R8 - 300-ohm R9-R13 - 10-kilo-ohm R14-R17 - 470-kilo-ohm R18-R21 - 2.2-mega-ohm R22-R25 - 3.3-kilo-ohm R26 - 2.2-kilo-ohm R27-R30 - 33-ohm VR1 - 10-kilo-ohm preset Capacitors: C1 - 100nF ceramic disk C2 - 100µF, 25V electrolytic Miscellaneous: J1-J4 - Shorting jumper with 2-pin male bergstrip Batt.1-Batt.4 - 1.2V rechargeable battery - 2.5V, 200mA bulb B1-B4 CON1 - 2-pin terminal connector CON2-CON9 - 2-pin connector CON10-CON11 - USB A-type connector with cable - 5V DC regulated/USB power supply
rechargeable batteries. That can be done easily with this circuit. First, remove the power supply from the circuit. Next, close the respective jumpers. For example, if you wish to discharge Batt.1 and Batt.2, close only J1 and J2. The batteries start discharging through electric bulbs B1 and B2. You may connect voltmeters across CON6 and CON7 to check the voltage status on the corresponding discharging batteries. To drain the batteries, choose bulbs with appropriate ratings. In most cases, bulbs rated 2.5V/200mA or 2.5V/300mA will do the job. You may also use 3.5V/300mA or 6.3V/300mA bulbs but these produce dim light. Open the jumpers J1 through J4 when you charge the batteries. This battery charger does not need any special adjustment to operate properly. You only need to set the comparator threshold at 1.5V or any other appropriate power supply. Equalisation electronics For You | september 2017
131
Do-it-yourself resistors R1 through R4 are around 30-ohm, but you can choose any appropriate value. You can also remove R1 through R4, if desired. Resistors R5 through R8 protect LED1 through LED4. The light emitted by these LEDs is proportional to the charging current.
Construction and testing
Fig. 2: Actual-size PCB layout for the battery charger and discharger with USB power supply
An actual-size, single-side PCB layout for the battery charger/discharger with USB power supply is shown in Fig. 2 and its components layout in Fig. 3. After assembling the circuit on a PCB, connect CON1 to 5V power supply. Connect bulbs B1 through B4 on the front panel to indicate the discharging status.
Petre Tzv Petrov was a researcher and assistant professor in Technical University of Sofia, Bulgaria, and expert-lecturer in OFPPT(Casablance), Kingdom of Morocco. Now he is working as an electronics engineer in the private sector in Bulgaria
Fig. 3: Component layout for the PCB
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Do-it-yourself
Shi Sak a & ey Shr heo iT n Sa
Micro-Solder Pot T.K. Hareendran
T
o make a great solder joint, component preparation is a must. It is very important to clean component leads, wires and contact surfaces prior to soldering with isopropyl alcohol. Remember, tinning component leads and wires makes the actual soldering of joints quick and efficient. Tinning involves putting a thin layer of solder on the component/wire tips, which assists greatly in transfer of heat to solder joints. Obviously you need to strip the enamel off the copper wire (ECW/ magnet wire) to prepare it for soldering. However, tinning a small-gauge wire (>18SWG) using an ordinary soldering iron is quite cumbersome. You can use this home-made micro-solder pot not only to strip the heat-strippable enamel but also to put a thin layer of solder on the stripped part. Note that wire leads that are insulated with non-heat-strippable enamel should be scraped clean before the micro-tinning process. This do-it-yourself project is a true recycling project as it turns the popular soldering iron element into a micro-solder pot for your electronics lab. At the heart of this project is a 25W soldering iron element from Soldron (Fig. 1). Another main component required is a standard 5mm hot-air nozzle for the quick hot-air SMD rework station as shown in Fig. 2. Apart from these, you only need a handful of inexpensive components and accessories as mentioned in the parts list!
Construction First, plug the hot-air nozzle directly into the tip of the soldering iron element. Then secure the nozzle over the tip using a high-temperature sealant/ adhesive. The nozzle forms the solder pot. When the soldering element is heated up, the nozzle too becomes hot. 134
september 2017 | electronics For You
Fig. 1: Soldering element with nozzle
Fig. 4: Tinning before and after
switch. The 1N4007 diode converts the 230V AC mains into a safe power supply voltage for the soldering iron element. The red LED indicates the power on/off status.
Tinning procedure Fig. 2: Nozzle and other accessories
CON1 230V AC L N
S1 ON/OFF
R1 100K
D1 IN4007
SOLDERING ELEMENT
LED1
Fig. 3: Circuit of the micro-solder pot power supply
components required Soldron 25W soldering iron element Quick 5mm hot-air nozzle 5mm red LED 1N4007 diode 100-kilo-ohm resistor 230V SPST rocker switch
Fig. 1 shows an example of microsolder pot constructed in this way. Fig. 3 shows a very simple power supply circuit, which can be easily constructed on a small piece of perforated prototyping board. The 230V AC power line voltage is fed to the soldering iron element through the on/off
Fill your micro-solder pot with adequate amount of solder wire, switch it ‘on’ and let it heat up to the right temperature. As the temperature of the pot rises, you can see the solder wire in the pot melting away. After a few minutes, you can see molten solder in the pot. Next, determine the length of the wire/component lead which must be stripped. Insert the lead end of the wire into the solder pot and wait for a few seconds. Finally, slowly pull the lead back out of the solder pot. No doubt, what you get is a nicely tinned wire/component lead! Fig. 4 shows tinning on a stripped wire end. Caution. This micro-solder pot is meant for experienced electronics hobbyists. Inexperienced persons unfamiliar with heat soldering tools and molten solder characteristics should not use it. To this effect, provide a warning notice on the use of the hot pot. T.K. Hareendran is founder and promoter of TechNode Protolabz
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l ku Mu gi & a st o Ru i the n sa
Do-it-yourself
Computer Vision Based Quality Control Using Python Pooja juyal
Q
uality control is an important process in all manufacturing industries. Normally, it includes checking the final product on sample basis and confirming whether the whole lot is suitable for dispatch or not. However, it is not a foolproof method to ensure quality as: 1. The whole lot is judged on the basis of a few samples. There is a possibility that the samples selected conform to quality standards but many others in the lot don’t. 2. Quality judgement depends on the expertise of the person checking the samples. That is where computer vision comes into play. With systems using computer vision to judge the qual-
ity, you can implement 100 per cent quality check independent of human interference. The computer vision system presented here for quality control of blister-packed medical pills is just a proof of this concept, which can be used across industries after appropriate adjustment. This camera-based system takes pictures of the product, which are analysed after image extraction through image processing and checked against quality standards. In case of blister packing, manufacturers need to check whether all the blisters have been filled with unbroken tablets. The system automatically checks the number of pills through the camera and indicates if the number is less than expected.
Software requirements
Fig. 1: Blister-packed medical pills
Fig. 2: SimpleCV download page
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The software for this system is written in Python and uses SimpleCV image processing library. Even beginners can easily get started with computer vision as all the steps, from installation, program creation to running the program, have been detailed here. The software was successfully tested on Windows 7 and Windows 10 environments. With
little adjustment, it can be made to work on Linux systems as well. The software and hardware prerequisites to run this program are: 1. Python 2.7.11 2. Python added to path environment variable 3. SimpleCV and its dependencies 4. USB camera (you can also use the one in your laptop but testing with USB camera is easier) 5. Windows 7/10 system The steps to install Python and add it to the path environment are the same as given in the ‘Time For a Break’ article published in March issue, hence not detailed here. However, complete steps are included in Appendices 1 and 2 of this issue’s EFY DVD. Install SimpleCV. SimpleCV is an easy-to-use image processing library. It is a Python framework that bundles together open source computer vision libraries and algorithms. Installing SimpleCV is relatively easy on Windows. Follow the steps below: 1. Download SimpleCV Version 1.3 Superpack from http://simplecv. org/download/ link as shown in Fig. 2. The Superpack already has all the dependencies bundled into it for installation. The dependencies for SimpleCV are: • Python 2.7.3 • Python Setup Tools • NumPy • SciPy • Easy_install • OpenCV 2. Once SimpleCV is downloaded, double-click the file to start installation. This will install Simwww.eFYmag.com
Do-it-yourself
Fig. 4: SimpleCV command window
Fig. 3: Downloading Python Imaging Library for Python 2.7
pleCV and all the dependencies one by one 3. Download Python Imaging Library (PIL) for Python 2.7 from http://www.pythonware.com/products/pil/ as shown in Fig. 3 and install it Test SimpleCV. Run command prompt (as administrator), type in SimpleCV and press Enter. SimpleCV shell should appear now for accepting commands as shown in Fig. 4. As the recent version of SimpleCV doesn’t work well with the latest version of ipython, you need to uninstall the latest version of ipython and install an older one using below commands under C:\ Windows\Systems32: > pip uninstall ipython > pip install ipython==4.2.0
(Before you run these commands in command prompt, you need ‘pip’ already installed. You can install it by using >python -m pip install -U pip command.)
Setup for USB camera You need to complete the setup before proceeding further. The setup is simple, requiring just a USB camera attached to a laptop or PC. This project used a regular USB webcam, which is easily available in the market. Plug in the camera and check whether it is detected in Device Manager (Fig. 5). The camwww.eFYmag.com
era should be mounted such that it does not move and captures the whole tablet pack underneath. No additional lighting is required. The camera effectively captures images in low lighting as well. Test camera. Run the command prompt as an administrator, type SimpleCV and press ‘Enter.’ Once you get SimpleCV shell, type the following commands to test the camera (Fig. 6):
Fig. 5: USB camera detected
>cam = Camera(0) >img = cam.getImage() >img.show()
If you get images from the USB camera, your camera has been detected as Camera(0) by the operating system. Otherwise, change Camera(0) to Camera(1) in above commands and try again. The reference camera is used in the software.
Python IDE Python IDE, which comes with Python installation, is used to write, test and debug Python programs. When Python is run, it opens up a Python Shell window as shown in Fig. 7. You can run it directly from the installed applications by clicking its logo. Or, write IDLE in the search tab on the Windows start page to get the option to be clicked. Python is an interpreted language, so you can immediately start writing
Fig. 6: Camera commands
the commands and press ‘Enter.’ The commands get executed when you press ‘Enter.’ Test by typing 2+2 and then press ‘Enter.’ You should get four as the answer in the next line.
Create new program Run Python IDLE→File→New File Now you can start writing the program in the IDLE. The complete program is provided in Quality electronics For You | september 2017
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Do-it-yourself of tablets by detecting the objects matching the predefined colour and separating them from the rest of the scene as shown in Fig. 11. Here we have used an HSV system instead of RGB as it performs better in such applications. To find out the hue value for the tablets you are using, run the following code:
Fig. 7: Python Shell window
from SimpleCV import *
Fig. 8: Python code
Control.py file as shown in Fig. 8. Copy the code from this file or use the file as it is, because Python is an indentation-sensitive language.
Import modules Modules required in the program are: 1. from SimpleCV import * # importing everything from SimpleCV 2. import winsound # importing winsound to play sound The winsound module comes prepackaged with Python, while we have already installed SimpleCV using aforementioned steps.
Functions used Initialise camera. You need to be sure that your camera is detected as 0 or 1 and update the program accordingly as given below: Cam = Camera(0) # initialise the camera Peak hue level. Enter peak hue level of the colour to be detected. In this project, tablets used had the peak hue of 11.0. You need to find it out for your tablets and update the same in the code as given below: peakHue = 11.0
The software counts the number
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cam = Camera(0)
threshold(200)
Now you can detect them as blobs. Threshold of 200 is selected after hit-and-trial so that white region is clearly visible. Blobs detection. Blobs are continuous regions of similar lightcoloured pixels. Once blobs are detected, you can apply many operations on them, to find their area, length, angle, etc. You can even count them. For example, in the following command, Minsize=1000 indicates that you want the system to detect only those blobs which are above size 1000: blobs = imgdistbin.findBlobs(minsize=1000)
This is also selected via hitand-trial method such that you only get tablets area as blobs. The
while True: img = cam.getImage() peak = img.huePeaks() print peak
A separate hue.py Python file is also provided for hue. Now, put the tablet pack under the camera and run this code. Ensure optimal lighting as excessive light will reflect off the silver background of tablets to create false results. When you run the code, you will start to see many numbers. Just note the first one in the list. That is the hue value for your tablets. Capture image. The following function captures the image (Fig. 9) of the tablet pack and scales it down to 320x240 resolution:
Fig. 9: Image of tablets captured by the program
img = cam.getImage().scale(320,240)
Hue distance image. The function below creates another image that indicates the hue distance for the value you selected:
Fig.10: Hue of the tablets
imgdist = img.hueDistance(peakHue)
The tablets should look black (Fig. 10) because the difference is zero there. If not, you have not selected the right hue value. Inverted image. The tablets will become white (Fig. 11) after this command: imgdistbin = imgdist.invert().
Fig. 11: Inverted image of the tablets www.eFYmag.com
Do-it-yourself function detects all blobs and their co-ordinates are stored in a matrix called blobs. Display all images. The following function shows all the processed images side by side (Fig. 12): result = img.sideBySide(imgdist, side=’bottom’, scale=False) result = result.sideBySide(imgdistbin, side=’right’) result.show()
Count blobs. The number of blobs is equal to the number of tablets. Below function counts the number of blobs: if blobs is not None: le = len(blobs) print ‘Pills Detected =’, le
The first statement helps the code to keep running even if no blob is detected. Otherwise, the program will terminate in the next step. The second statement counts the length of the matrix, which is equal to the number of blobs. The third statement prints the number of blobs detected. Check and compare the blobs detected. The code for this purpose follows: if le == 3: winsound.Beep(1000, 100) print ‘OK’ else: print ‘FAIL’
The first statement compares the number of detected blobs with the prefixed number of pills in the pack. Here, the fixed value is entered as 3 because three-tablet blister packs were used for testing purpose. You need to change the number as required. The second statement plays a beep (frequency, time) if the number of blobs detected is 3 and the third statement prints OK. Otherwise, correct blob detection fails.
How the system works The blister-packed medical pills are manufactured through automated processes. These processes are generally carried out using a conveyor system. The packs are put www.eFYmag.com
Fig. 12: Display of all images
on the conveyor belt, inspected and packed. There you can mount the camera to continuously monitor the packs for quality control. The source code for the system runs in an infinite loop. But for actual implementation, you need to adapt it and make it trigger based, so that processing happens only when the blister pack arrives under the camera. The camera captures an image of the pack and converts it into one that shows hue difference from your predefined value. This means that pills will be shown as black because only at their places there will be no difference in hue from the predefined value. This image is inverted, so pills appear white and the rest of the surrounding area turns black. The objective is to pre-process the image so that the pills area appears as blobs to get detected. The blobs are easy to count and the blob count indicates the number of pills in the package. This number is compared with the desired number of pills for each package, thus miss-
efy Note
The source code of this project and Appendices 1 and 2 are included in this month’s EFY DVD and are also available for free download at source. efymag.com
ing pills are automatically detected. The software beeps if the number of detected pills matches the desired value. You can also program it to do the opposite. The steps to run the software are reproduced below for better understanding: Run Python IDLE→File→New File
Paste the program or use the file Quality Control.py. Enter right values for: 1. Camera (number?) 2. peakHue (that you have found using the second program hue.py) 3. Threshold through hit-andtrial method 4. minsize for blobs detection. This depends on the placement of your camera. Use hit-and-trial method to get the correct value 5. le == ?? (put the number of pills desired in your packs) Now click Run followed by Run Module. You will immediately see a screen with various processed images such as the one shown in Fig. 1. If the number of detected pills is equal to the desired value, the software will produce a beep sound and show OK on the console. Otherwise, it will show Fail on the console.
Pooja Juyal is manager at Samtel Avionics Ltd
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Persang Entertainment Pvt Ltd...........................................................86-87 Phoenix Contact (India) Pvt Ltd (www.phoenixcontactin.com) ...............85 PHOENIX MECANO................................................................................53 Progressive Engineers...........................................................................150 PROTOLAB Electro Technologies Pvt Ltd ..............................................15 PSI Enterprises ......................................................................................148 Qingdao Ainuo Intelligent Instrument Co Ltd., China ..............................17 Rajguru Electronics ................................................................................141 REBUTOR Electronics Pvt Ltd ........................................................41, 140 RECOM Asia Pte Ltd .............................................................................127 RK Enterprises .......................................................................................144 Rohde & Schwarz (www.rohde-schwarz.co.in) .......................................77 ROHM Semiconductor ...........................................................................105 Sakthi Accumulators Private Ltd ............................................................156 Sancon India Pvt. Ltd. ............................................................................152 SCH Technologies ...................................................................................53 Servokon Systems Pvt Ltd.....................................................................152 Shavison Electronics Pvt Ltd (www.shavison.com)............................... 113 Shivalik Bimetal Controls Ltd. ................................................................148 Shrey Plastic Moulders (www.shreyplasticmoulders.com)....................156 SIGLENT Technologies Co. Ltd...............................................................49 Smec Electronics India Pvt Ltd .............................................................142 Speon Sensors .....................................................................................149 ST Microelectronics Marketing Pvt Ltd ....................................................57 Stride Technology.....................................................................................55 Suresh Enterprises ................................................................................144 Taipei World Trade Center, Mumbai (TAITRA Mumbai ) ...........................6 TME SLOVAKIA S.R.O. ...........................................................................45 Transcom Instruments ...........................................................................135 Universal Electronic Agencies (www.easternradio.co.in) ......................154 V5 Semiconductors................................................................................160 Vidyut Yantra Udyog (www.vyu-microwave.com)..................................154 VIGVEN Tech Mark Pvt Ltd (www.vigven.com).....................................133 VIRSON Corporation .............................................................................157 World Robot Olympiad India 2017...........................................................26 Zhaoqing Beryl Electronic Co., Ltd. .......................................................123
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Automation & Robotics Dynalog (India) Ltd ..............................................11 Batteries & Power Supplies Artesyn Embedded Technologies ..................... 121 Coslight India Telecom Pvt Ltd ......................... 144 Fusion Power Systems ..................................... 151 Green Vision Technologies .................................. 5 Incubation Centre-Indian Institute of Technology Patna ........................................... 23 Martin Electronic Devices & Instruments ......... 155 Montu Electronics LLP...................................... 156 Mornsun Guangzhou Science & Technology Co. Ltd. ......................................... 81 MSS Powertech Pvt Ltd.................................... 156 National Controlling & Equipments ................... 156 PSI Enterprises ................................................ 148 Qingdao Ainuo Intelligent Instrument Co Ltd., China.................................................. 17 RECOM Asia Pte Ltd ....................................... 127 Sakthi Accumulators Private Ltd ...................... 156 Servokon Systems Pvt Ltd ............................... 152 Cabinets, Enclosures & Accessories Dinrack Integrated System Pvt Ltd .................... 56 PHOENIX MECANO........................................... 53 Shrey Plastic Moulders ..................................... 156 Suresh Enterprises .......................................... 144 Universal Electronic Agencies ......................... 154 Components (Including Active & Passive) Analog Devices................................................... 29 CADD Centre Training Services Private Limited .............................................. 145 Conquer electronics ......................................... 125 Elcom International Pvt Ltd .............................. 142 Epcos AG ........................................................... 47 EPCOS India Private Limited .......................... 143 Fujitsu Electronics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd ............... 19 infineon ........................................................ 69, 79 Microchip Technology Hong Kong Ltd ................ 73 Pasternack ....................................................... 162 Perfect Metal Works ......................................... 157
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ROHM Semiconductor ..................................... 105 Sancon India Pvt Ltd ........................................ 152 Shivalik Bimetal Controls Ltd. ........................... 148 ST Microelectronics Marketing Pvt Ltd ............... 57 Zhaoqing Beryl Electronic Co. Ltd. ................... 123
PCBs, Assemblies & Sub Assemblies Advance Technologies...................................... 156 Boolean Microsystems Pvt Ltd ......................... 157 HDC Technologies Inc. ...................................... 51 VIRSON Corporation ........................................ 157
Consumer Electronics & Appliances Persang Alloy Industries Pvt Ltd ......................... 31
Plugs, Sockets & Connectors ADI Electronics ................................................... 55 INGUN India Pvt Ltd. ........................................ 146 Phoenix Contact (India) Pvt Ltd .......................... 85 Shavison Electronics Pvt Ltd. ............................113
Display Systems Chip Tech Electronics (P) Ltd ............................. 52 Electronic Assembly ......................................... 125 Elektronika Sales Pvt Ltd.................................... 89 EDA Tools (Including Designing & Drafting Aids) MathWorks ........................................................ 75 NI Systems India Pvt Ltd .................................... 35 Educational Training Kits DOLPHIN Labs ................................................. 146 Eita Technologies ............................................. 157 Himesh Reddivari Technologies ...................... 131 Kits N Spares ..................................................... 66 Vidyut Yantra Udyog ......................................... 154 Industrial & Manufacturing Equipment Max Technology & Co. ....................................... 39 Nikon India Pvt Ltd ............................................. 43 NMTronics India Pvt Ltd ............................Gatefold IT Products A1 Cadtech ...................................................... 156 Materials (Including Chemicals & Consumables) HK Wentworth (India) Pvt Ltd .......................... 161 Progressive Engineers ..................................... 150 SCH Technologies ............................................. 53 Optics & Optoelectronics Artech Electronics Solution Provider ............... 157 Binay Opto Electronics Pvt Ltd ..................... 70, 71
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Printed Electronics PROTOLAB Electro Technologies Pvt Ltd .......... 15 Reseller and Distributors Avnet Electronics India ....................................... 33 AqTronics Technologies Pvt Ltd ......................... 21 Auro Controls.................................................... 129 Chip Tech Electronics (P) Ltd ............................. 52 Digi-Key Electronics ............................................ 4 Digital Promoters (I) Pvt Ltd ............................. 156 E Control Devices ............................................ 142 Elektronika Sales Pvt Ltd.................................... 89 Element14 India Pvt Ltd. ...................................... 1 Hicotronics Devices Pvt Ltd ................................ 13 Key Operations & Electrocomponents Pvt Ltd . 123 LWI Electronics Inc. ........................................... 25 Mouser Electronics (India) Private Limited .......... 9 Rajguru Electronics ......................................... 141 REBUTOR Electronics Pvt Ltd ................... 41, 140 RK Enterprises ................................................ 144 Smec Electronics India Pvt Ltd ......................... 142 Stride Technology .............................................. 55 TME SLOVAKIA S.R.O. ..................................... 45 V5 Semiconductors ......................................... 160 VIGVEN Tech Mark Pvt Ltd .............................. 133 Safety & Security Products Matrix Comsec Pvt Ltd ....................................... 27 Sensors & Transducers Speon Sensors ................................................ 149
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Services A1 Cadtech ....................................................... 156 Brisker Systems Electronics & Services ........... 157 Telecom Products Matrix Comsec Pvt Ltd ....................................... 27 Test & Measurement Equipment (Including Indicators & Monitors) Countronics ...................................................... 157 Crown Electronic Systems................................ 150 FLIR Systems India Pvt Ltd ........................ 51, 127 Hind Electronika India Private Limited ............... 83 Keysight Technologies India Pvt Ltd ..................... 7 Kusam Electrical Instruments LLP ................... 153 Kyoritsu KEW India Instruments Pvt Ltd............. 59 Mangal Instrumentation .................................... 146 Meco Meters Pvt Ltd............................... 63, 65, 67 Metro Electronics Products .............................. 147 Rohde & Schwarz .............................................. 77 Speon Sensors ................................................ 149 Transcom Instruments ...................................... 135 Tools & Toolkits Kits N Spares ..................................................... 66 Vidyut Yantra Udyog ......................................... 154 Trade Shows and Events MMI India Pvt. Ltd............................................. 129 Taipei World Trade Center, Mumbai (TAITRA Mumbai) ............................................. 6 World Robot Olympiad India 2017...................... 26 Training and Certification Institutes CADD Centre Training Services Private Limited ..145 Jetking Infotrain Ltd ........................................... 37 Transformers GT Magnetics Pvt Ltd ....................................... 148 Servokon Systems Pvt Ltd ............................... 152 Wireless Modules/Modem AN Wireless Solutions ..................................... 125 HARIHI Ohm Electronics .................................. 150
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EFY Magazine Attractions During 2017 Month
tEchnologY Focus
ElEctronics DEsign
MArkEt survEYs
January
Computer Vision
Lowering Power Consumption
Electronic Component Manufacturing
February
Smart Fabrics
Improving Wireless Signal Performance
Electronics Manufacturing Services
March
Exciting Technologies Powering the IoT
Building More Reliable Printed Circuit Boards
Industry Outlook for 2017-18
April
Virtual and Augmented Reality
Developer Boards: DIY and Hobbyist Applications
Printed Circuit Boards
May
Smart Robotics
Fight of the Processors: Ultra-Low-Voltage Computing The Internet of Things (Mobile and Portable Devices)
June
Artificial Intelligence
How to Get the Best Design for Manufacturing
Strategic Electronics
July
5G and Beyond
Developer Boards: Industrial Applications
Mobile Handset and Telecom Device Manufacturing
August
3D Printing
Improving Thermal Dissipation
LED Lighting
September Industrial IoT
Which Input Technologies Should You Use
Solar
October
The Brains of Mobile Devices
Ruggedising Hardware
Electronics Manufacturing Equipment (Both SMT and Non-SMT Categories)
November
Security of the IoT
Fight of the Processors: High-Performance Computing Test and Measurement
December
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