A selection of news from the world of embedded, this week featuring Andes Technology, ASR Microelectronics (ASR), CEVA, Hitachi Energy, Infineon Technologies, Memfault, Nordic Semiconductor, PQShield, Renesas Electronics, Riscure, Secure-IC, Silex Insight, Toshiba Electronics, and Whirlpool.
Secure-IC, a provider of end-to-end cybersecurity solutions for embedded systems and connected objects, has acquired Silex Insight’s security business. Over the last decade, Secure-IC has delivered its Securyzr integrated security services platform (iSSP), with solutions embedded into hundreds of millions of chips for smartphones, computers, automobiles, smart meters, and cloud servers. Silex Insight has for over 30 years delivered scalable and flexible silicon proven security IPs, compliant with common industry standards (NIST and others), including crypto engines. As part of the integration of its security business within Secure-IC, Silex Insight’s current operations in Belgium will remain in place and expect to be expanded.
Toshiba Electronics has introduced MCU Motor Studio, bringing together PC-based design tools, microcontroller firmware, and low-cost evaluation hardware for motor-control applications hosted on Toshiba TXZ+4A microcontrollers (MCUs). The new MCU Motor Studio firmware suite supports all common energy-efficient motor control strategies including sinewave commutation and field-oriented (vector) control (FOC), sensorless or with precise-position sensing. The firmware caters for all popular motor types, including brushless DC (BLDC) and permanent-magnet synchronous motors (PMSM). Switched reluctance motors (SRM) and asynchronous AC motors are also supported. The MCU Motor Studio firmware and GUI can be downloaded here.
Ultraleap announced completion of a new ultrasound transducer powering its mid-air haptics technology. Transducers project the ultrasound to create a haptic effect. The company said its new ultrasound speaker is smaller, cheaper, and easier to build which means it can be manufactured at scale more efficiently and can be assembled into products by machines. The new transducer will also be fully qualified for automotive integration so it can be used with confidence by automotive OEMs in their next generation of vehicles. Jonny Codling, VP of automotive at Ultraleap said that mid-air haptics is the missing piece of the puzzle in automotive HMI, and OEMs can now fully embrace this technology to stand out from the competition.
Memfault announced an extension of its partnership with Nordic Semiconductor to give Bluetooth Low Energy developers building on nRF52 and nRF53 series easy access to Memfault’s device IoT reliability platform. The latter helps capture relevant metrics and issue data remotely from the devices operating in development or production, develop fixes or improvements, and monitor updates across hardware and software releases. The new nRF Connect SDK v2.1.0 enables rapid creation of a data pipeline for the nRF52 and nRF53 series to the cloud and out-of-the-box device debugging and fault analysis capabilities. With no cost for up to 100 devices, teams using Memfault and Nordic can begin using Memfault for small fleets of development devices for free.
Infineon Technologies added the new XENSIV TLE4971 family to its sensor portfolio for automotive applications. The 3.3 V devices are the next generation of TLI4971 devices available in a TISON package with an integrated rail and available in four different pre-programmed current ranges: 25 A, 50 A, 75 A and 120 A. With a compact design and state-of-the-art sensing, the TLE4971 is ideal for automotive use cases including on-board chargers (OBC), high-voltage auxiliary drives and charging applications. Additionally, the current sensor is also suitable for industrial applications including DC chargers for electric vehicles, industrial drives, servo drives and PV inverters.
Renesas Electronics has launched an automotive power management IC (PMIC) for next-generation automotive camera applications. The RAA271082 is an ISO-26262 compliant multi-rail power IC with a primary high voltage synchronous buck regulator, two secondary low voltage synchronous buck regulators, and a low voltage LDO regulator. The highly integrated PMIC is an ideal companion for Renesas’ automotive high-definition link (AHL) technology that enables car manufacturers to deliver high-definition video using low-cost cables and connectors. It simplifies power supply design for automotive camera applications requiring functional safety compliance, modules that include surround view/satellite, rearview, driver monitor, and e-mirror.
Riscure, a security advisory lab, has partnered with PQShield, a cybersecurity company specializing in post-quantum cryptography (PQC), to evaluate PQShield’s side channel analysis (SCA) testing and validation processes. Even when PQC algorithms are mathematically secure, they can potentially be broken by side channel attacks, hence the importance of identifying and addressing any side-channel vulnerabilities before PQC solutions are widely rolled out. With this project, the two companies will evaluate PQShield’s SCA testing process. They will also share knowledge about post-quantum cryptography and its impact on side channel attacks, advancing companies’ and governments’ understanding of how new quantum-secure algorithms can be secured through robust validation and countermeasures.
CEVA and ASR Microelectronics (ASR), a key player in China’s internet of things (IoT) market, announced that shipments of ASR wireless IoT chips powered by CEVA’s IPs have surpassed 100 million units in less than two years. ASR was founded in 2015 and since its inception has worked closely together, with ASR using CEVA’s DSPs and wireless connectivity platforms. Xikai Zhao, vice president, ASR Micro, commented, “Our broad portfolio of wireless products spanning short- and long-range standards illustrates ASR’s unique ability to meet the connectivity requirements of wireless communication industry.” Tal Shalev, vice president and general manager of the wireless IoT business unit at CEVA, added, “ASR and CEVA share a joint vision for seamless wireless connectivity and the role it plays in the internet of everything.”
Hitachi Energy has launched its TRO610 cellular router purpose-built to support industrial internet of things (IIoT) applications for utilities, smart cities, oil and gas, manufacturing, and mining operations. The router claims to provide greater efficiency by enabling a wider variety of edge compute applications, and features capabilities like edge computing and multiple secure connectivity options, laying the foundation for grid modernization and future grid applications. The TRO610 can be easily managed through Hitachi Energy’s Supros unified network management and monitoring system. Supros simplifies installation with the low-touch deployment of wireless devices and remote terminal units (RTU) and supports over-the-air firmware updates.
At the Linley Fall Processor Conference 2022, Andes Technology announced its top-of-the-line AndesCore AX60 series of power and area efficient out-of-order 64-bit processors, intended to run heavy-duty OS and applications with compute intensive requirements. The first member of the AX60 series, the AX65, supports the latest RISC-V architecture extensions such as the scalar cryptography extension and bit manipulation extension. It is a 4-way superscalar with out-of-order (OoO) execution in a 13-stage pipeline. It fetches 4 to 8 instructions per cycle guided by highly accurate TAGE branch predictor with loop prediction to ensure fetch efficiency. It then decodes, renames and dispatches up to 4 instructions into 8 execution units, including 4 integer units, 2 full load/store units, and 2 floating-point units.
Whirlpool has announced support for Matter, the new standard for smart home connectivity, and will be an active member of the Matter working group focused on supporting appliances in a future version of Matter. Whirlpool’s corporate VP of global platforms, Ludo Beaufils, said, “Matter allows consumers to enjoy all the smart features found on our products, while connecting compatible devices and systems with one another and controlling them from their preferred app or voice assistant.” Tobin Richardson, CEO and president of the Connectivity Standards Alliance, added, “Appliances are one of the major categories of smart devices that consumers want to have connected in their home, and Matter is a pathway that can make this mainstream through interoperability, efficiency and convenience.”
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