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◎
2012/1/10 BMA280/BMA255 – for consumer electronics
Bosch Sensortec launches triaxial MEMS acceleration
sensors up to 14 bit resolution Now available in 2 x
2 mm LGA package
• Detects acceleration forces as low as 0.25 milli-g
• Integrated FIFO buffer and advanced interrupt
engine
• Complete portfolio of 6 to 14 bit sensors in 2 x 2
mm now available
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 he
new triaxial acceleration sensors BMA280 and BMA255
from Bosch Sensortec feature 14 bit and 12 bit
resolutions respectively – the norm up to now has
been 10 bit. With this product extension Bosch
Sensortec is the only manufacturer in the world to
offer a complete acceleration sensor product
portfolio in 2 x 2 mm package size. The new sensors
even measure very small changes in acceleration of
as low as 0.25 milli-g. Currently no other 2 x 2 mm
acceleration sensor features such high sensitivity
while maintaining an exceptionally low noise level
of only 120 micro-g/vHz and 150 micro-g/vHz
respectively. The 14 bit and 12 bit resolutions
place great demands on the integrated electronics,
yet the sensors require only 130 micro amps even at
maximum data rate. In power-saving mode, at reduced
data rate, the power consumption even drops to below
10 micro amps.Dr. Frank Melzer, CEO of Bosch
Sensortec, states that this latest product
innovation proves again that Bosch is the world’s
leading MEMS sensor manufacturer: “The fact that
these sensors are the smallest size available on the
market, have the lowest power consumption and low
noise levels, demonstrates Bosch’s undisputed
leadership in terms of MEMS technology.”
Advanced interrupt engine
Compared with existing acceleration sensors in the 2
x 2 mm series, the BMA280 and the BMA255 have an
enhanced interrupt engine. The integrated interrupt
engine enables them to automatically identify
specific motion patterns. Previously the interrupt
engine was able to recognize tapping on the housing
of a mobile device, detect falling of a device or
the lifting of a cell phone from a desk. Now, both
types of sensors feature the additional pattern “no
motion”: this means they can detect whether the
device has stopped moving for a definable period of
time. The energy management system of a mobile
device can use this information to switch off
high-performance functions until the acceleration
sensor signals a new motion.Another new feature is a
FIFO buffer. It enables the sensor to buffer
measurement data independently until it is required
by the system. This reduces the application
processors data polling frequency and hence reduces
the system’s power consumption.
Manufactured on 200 mm wafers
The new sensors, already in series production, are
manufactured in Bosch’s 200 mm wafer fab in
Reutlingen. This new wafer fab was set up at an
investment of more than 600 million euros and
complements Bosch’s existing 150 mm wafer fab. Both
fabs are used in the manufacture of integrated
circuits (IC) and micromechanical devices (MEMS) for
use in automobile technology and in consumer
electronics.
|
Acceleration sensors in the 2 x 2 mm series
from Bosch Sensortec |
|
|
BMA280 |
BMA255 |
BMA250 |
BMA222 |
BMA220 |
|
Measuring ranges
(programmable) |
±2 g, ±4
g, ±8 g, ±16
g |
|
Digital resolution |
14
Bit |
12
Bit |
10
Bit |
8
Bit |
6
Bit |
|
maximum resolution
(in the measuring range ±2
g) |
0.244
Milli-g |
0.98
Milli-g |
3.91 Milli-g |
15.63 Milli-g |
62.5 Milli-g |
|
Interfaces |
SPI (3- or 4-wire) and I2C |
|
Number of interrupt pins |
2 |
1 |
|
Permissible operating temperature |
-40 °C
... +85 °C |
Acceleration sensors in the 2 x 2 mm series from
Bosch Sensortec |
◎
2012/1/9Bosch Sensortec completes its product line
BMG160 digital triaxial gyroscope for smartphone and
gaming applications Sensor for sophisticated mobile
applications
• The world’s smallest triaxial gyroscope
• High functionality in a 3 x 3 mm package
• Comprehensive sensor concepts and associated
software from a single source
 All
technologies from a single source
The triaxial gyroscope completes Bosch Sensortec’s
product line for the consumer electronics industry.
The Bosch portfolio also comprises acceleration and
pressure sensors as well as electronic compass
solutions. Thanks to the sophisticated fusion of
sensor data from existing acceleration sensors,
eCompass products, and gyroscope, direction and
movement in three-dimensional space can be precisely
recognized. Sensor data fusion is indispensable for
future navigation and gaming applications in
smartphones and tablet PCs. Bosch Sensortec develops
and supplies software modules with six or nine
Degrees of Freedom (DoF).Bosch Sensortec’s newly
expanded and perfectly harmonized product line is an
industry first: all of the currently relevant
sensors and associated software for the latest
generation of smartphones are now available from a
single source. |
◎
2011/12/22 Microelectromechanical components Two
billion Bosch MEMS sensors Production volumes
growing steadily since 1995
• 13 years for the first billion, just three for the
second
• Bosch is the global market leader in MEMS sensors
• Main customers in the automotive and
consumer-electronics industries
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 Bosch
sets a new production volume record: the technology
company has manufactured two billion MEMS
(micro-electro-mechanical systems) sensors since
production began 16 years ago. While it took 13
years to produce the first billion, the two-billion
mark was recently crossed, just three years later.
And production volumes are still growing. Recently,
annual production has reached almost half a billion
units – more than 1.3 million every working day.
Bosch is by far the world leader in the MEMS sensor
market. The automotive and consumer electronics
industries are the biggest users of these sensors,
and Bosch serves them via its Automotive Electronics
division and its Sensortec and Akustica
subsidiaries.
Basic research in the 1980s led to the “Bosch
process”
Bosch is one of the most experienced players in the
development and production of micromechanical
sensors. It was Bosch researchers who developed the
basic technology of bulk and surface micromachining
from the middle of the 1980s onward; this is why one
of the main production processes is known in the
industry as the “Bosch process.” It is the key to
high-volume production.Economic success was quick to
follow the start of production in 1995. The research
was honored with prestigious awards: the European
Patent Office’s European Inventor Award 2007, and
the 2008 German Future Prize, Federal President’s
Award for Technology and Innovation.
Bosch MEMS sensors are just as precise and reliable
when measuring variables such as pressure,
acceleration, yaw rate, or flow rate as they are
determining the direction of the Earth’s magnetic
field. The sensors use microscopically small
springs, bars, weights, or membranes to make their
measurements. The structures etched into their
silicon substrate are just thousandths of a
millimeter across. Since micromechanical sensors
produce only weak electrical signals, experts have
integrated electronics either into the component
housing beside the sensor or sometimes even directly
on the same chip. These take the weak signal and
either process it, amplify it, or convert it into
digital data. In this way, MEMS sensors can provide
measurements directly to control units.
MEMS for automotive technology
The first market for MEMS sensors was in automotive
electronics. Here, the miniaturization of sensors
plays only a secondary role. Reliability and
robustness are much more important. Bosch Automotive
Electronics now produces several hundred
vehicle-specific varieties of micromechanical sensor
that make cars cleaner and safer, more economical
and more comfortable. Each year sees an increase in
the number of different varieties and in overall
volumes. A modern car features up to 100 of these
sensors – and the number is growing. For instance,
they are the “senses” for injection systems in
gasoline and diesel engines, they are what makes
life-saving airbags deploy, and they are an
essential part of the ESP anti-skid system.
MEMS for mobile consumer electronics
In consumer electronics, MEMS sensors make mobile
devices such as smartphones or laptops safe,
convenient, and user-friendly. The demands of this
sector are fundamentally different from those of the
automotive industry. For devices to be practical,
the sensors they contain need to be tiny, and they
must use very little power to conserve battery life.
But most important of all, sensors must be
cost-effective if many millions are to be used.
Today’s smallest Bosch Sensortec MEMS sensors have
an edge length of two millimeters and are less than
one millimeter high, and their standby power
consumption is even lower than the battery’s
self-discharge rate.
In navigation devices and cell phones with a
navigation function, MEMS pressure sensors’
measurements of changes in altitude are accurate
enough to allow for navigation even within a
multi-story building. MEMS acceleration sensors make
it possible to use hand movements to control
devices, switch the display of content from portrait
to landscape format, prevent the loss of data on
hard drives when a notebook is dropped, and open up
new worlds of experiences to users of new game
consoles.
The latest development is a triaxial MEMS magnetic
field sensor. By measuring the Earth’s magnetic
field, it can determine the geographic direction. An
integrated triaxial MEMS acceleration sensor
compensates for errors caused by inclines, allowing
this digital compass to maintain its accuracy
whatever its position. The possible uses of this
fusion of sensors extend far beyond those of a
traditional compass and into the realm of augmented
reality. A smartphone containing a digital compass
could, for example, be used during a sightseeing
tour of a city to display information about
whichever sight users are pointing their phone at.
MEMS microphones for consumer applications are the
specialty of Bosch’s Akustica subsidiary. These tiny
microphones, measuring just a few millimeters, stand
out for their small size, robustness and immunity to
high-frequency signals from surrounding circuitry
and displays, enabling consumer device manufacturers
to integrate two or more microphones for enhanced
noise suppression.
The potential for new developments in the consumer
market is as high as ever, so we can expect further
spectacular innovations based on MEMS components in
the years to come. |
◎
2011/12/22 World’s Leading Mobile Phone Gaming
Benchmark Now Available for Free
Rightware releases free edition of Basemark™ ES 2.0
and launches Power Board to enable online score
comparison for consumers worldwide
Espoo, Finland – December 22, 2011 – Rightware®, the
provider of world’s most widely adopted benchmarking
software for mobile phones, tablets and other
embedded devices, today announced the release of
Power Board, an online benchmarking database
service, and Basemark™ ES 2.0 Taiji Free, a
consumer-version of the industry’s standard graphics
benchmarking product. Both are available
immediately. Basemark™ ES 2.0 Taiji Free for
Android-based smartphones, tablets and other
embedded devices can be downloaded from Google’s
Android Market and from Rightware’s website.Basemark™
ES 2.0 Taiji Free offers a true benchmark for
gamers, game developers, and other consumers who
want to see how fast their device performs in the
context of gaming and graphics. This giveaway by
Rightware is a portion of the full product, Basemark™
ES 2.0, which was developed in close cooperation
with the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturers
and semiconductor companies. Basemark™ ES 2.0 Taiji
Free provides a scientifically designed and reliable
game scene – Taiji Girl – to test the 3D graphics
performance of the device. High-detail 3D content in
Taiji Girl generates a workload that taxes OpenGL ES
2.0 implementation in a realistic, visually stunning
way. After running the benchmark, consumers can
easily check how the performance of their device
compares to other devices with the integrated Power
Board online service. The version released today
supports Android and a version for iOS will be
released in Q1 2012. By enabling an identical test
case on both platforms, Android and iOS, Basemark™
ES 2.0 Taiji Free will provide an objective and
trustworthy comparison of graphics performance of
devices running different operating systems.The
Power Board online database gathers and maintains
official benchmarking data from Rightware’s
world-class roster of benchmarking products. Power
Board allows access to benchmarking data of
graphics, system, multicore, browser and user
interface performance of various different devices,
running different operating systems and hardware.
The purpose of Power Board is to be an official
forum for consumers and independent observers where
device performance is objectively reported. “Since
2007, only the world’s top mobile phone and
semiconductor companies have had access to Basemark
ES 2.0, and therefore I am truly excited about being
able to finally share our work with every gamer and
enthusiast around the world. I hope that our fans
will find it not only useful, but also a fun and
exciting way to get a deeper understanding of the
gaming performance capabilities of their mobile
phones, pads and other devices,” said Tero Sarkkinen,
CEO of Rightware. “Basemark ES 2.0 Taiji Free works
hand-in-hand with Power Board, enabling anyone to
compare the gaming and graphics performance of their
devices against other devices. Personally, I believe
this sort of data will also have an impact on what
devices consumers will want to buy in the future.”" |
◎2011/12/14 Rightware Announces Gaming Performance
Benchmark for OpenGL ES 'Halti'
Basemark™ Halti to become the gaming and graphics
performance benchmarking standard for embedded
devices
Espoo, Finland – December 14, 2011 – Rightware®, the
provider of world’s most widely adopted benchmarking
software for mobile phones, tablets and other
embedded devices, today announced that it is
developing Basemark™ Halti, an OpenGL ES 'Halti'
benchmark product slated for launch in 2012. The
benchmark continues the popular Basemark™ product
line’s graphic products, formerly known as
3DMarkMobile, and will set the new global standard
for OpenGL ES 'Halti' gaming and graphics
performance measurement. Basemark™ Halti will
provide a solid performance benchmarking tool to
semiconductor companies, device manufacturers,
operators, and various other players in the embedded
ecosystem across different vertical markets.Rightware’s objective is to offer industry standard
benchmark products that help its customers to
identify graphics performance bottlenecks in all
phases of development. For this purpose, Rightware
has established the Benchmark Development Program (BDP)
consisting of renowned and highly respected
companies, such as AMD, Broadcom, CSR, DMP,
Freescale, Huone, Imagination Technologies, Intel,
Marvell, Nokia, nVidia, Qualcomm, Renesas, Samsung,
ST-Ericsson, Takumi, Texas Instruments and Vivante.The core benchmark development team at Rightware has
over a decade of experience producing industry
leading benchmark products. Since acquiring
Futuremark Corporation’s mobile and embedded
division in 2009, Rightware has created numerous
benchmarks that have been adopted at large by the
industry’s leading mobile phone and processor
manufacturers. For example, the popular 3DMarkMobile
product line was first published in 2006 and was
later re-branded as Basemark ES family of products.
Rightware’s indisputable leadership in mobile and
embedded benchmarking is now further solidified with
the introduction of Basemark™ Halti.
Tero Sarkkinen, CEO of Rightware, sees the company’s
announced product as a major step for the whole
embedded ecosystem: “Gaming performance benchmarks
are a great way to evaluate overall graphics
performance of the measured device. Basemark Halti
continues our tradition of providing the most
trusted way for the industry to make product design
decisions during all phases of development. With
Basemark Halti, Rightware continues its track record
of providing the most cutting-edge products to the
embedded ecosystem and providing our customers
unique product to solve graphics performance issues
of future’s embedded devices.”"Tero Sarkkinen points out that despite game
benchmarks providing a way to measure graphics
performance, something more needs to be added for
performance analysis of embedded device: “To achieve
a holistic, comprehensive understanding of embedded
device’s actual performance capabilities, more than
just graphics benchmarking is required. Under our
extensive Basemark product family, we have a wide
coverage of benchmarks to also measure other
critical aspects of an embedded device performance.
While operating under the same product line, this
provides an excellent complementary offering to our
customers.””Basemark™ Halti will support multiple software
platforms, enabling its execution on any device
supporting OpenGL ES 'Halti'. Most importantly,
Basemark™ Halti will produce objective and
comparable results by offering the identical
workload in all platforms. |
◎
2011/11/16 ELMOS: Efficient high-voltage LED
controller family
E522.3x – products for use in harsh environments
 With
the E522.3x chips, ELMOS introduces a new LED
controller family. The ICs are designed for input
voltages between 5V and 55V and an output voltage of
up to 60V in boost mode, and they can be operated –
depending on the type – in single and/or dual LED
chain mode. With an ambient temperature range of -40
to +125°C, the ELMOS ICs are made especially for use
in harsh environments such as automotive conditions
or exterior lighting. Other fields of use are
interior house lights and TFT backlighting. In
addition to high robustness, the components offer a
great variety in the selection of circuit
topologies, such as boost, SEPIC, buck-boost, and
buck. The switching frequency can be adjusted to up
to 600kHz by means of an external resistor or
synchronized with other components in master-slave
configuration. Power consumption in sleep mode is
only 8µA. The versatility of the E522.3x controller
family is completed by various control and
monitoring functions, e.g. protection against
short-circuit, overtemperature, overvoltage and
undervoltage, and load break. This IC family is
supplied in the shape of single or dual controller
in a QFN32L5 package. |
◎
2011/11/02 Sensor fusion in MEMS technology November
2011 BMC050 – the first digital compass PI 7565 BST
Kl/af featuring the new “FlipCore” magnetic field
measurement principle
Triaxial geomagnetic sensor plus triaxial
acceleration sensor
§6-axis sensor in 3 x 3 mm LGA package
§Low power consumption, low noise
§Complete solution for device manufacturers
§New, robust technique for measuring the Earth’s
magnetic field
“Individual, specific sensors from manufacturers of
mobile devices are not the only types of sensor that
will be used in the future in the highly competitive
consumer electronics market. Rather, the aim is to
fuse different sensors into one component which, in
conjunction with intelligent software, represents a
system solution and therefore means significant
added value for the customer”, said Dr. Frank Melzer,
CEO of Bosch Sensortec. With the digital compass
BMC050, the Bosch subsidiary launches a new series
of high-precision MEMS sensors for compass-based
functions in cell phones, navigation devices and
other mobile devices. With an edge length of just 3
millimeters and a height of 0.95 millimeters, this
component is the smallest mass-produced “eCompass”
in the world. Sensor fusion has been used in the LGA
housing: Two sensors are integrated into a very
small space – a triaxial geomagnetic sensor for
measuring the Earth’s magnetic field and a triaxial
acceleration sensor for tilt compensation. The
magnetic snsor utilizes the new “FlipCore”
measurement principle developed by Bosch. Compared
with currently available Hall-based measurement
techniques, this sensor only requires around a third
of the power, while the noise has also been reduced
by almost a third. The six-axis BMC050 features high
sensitivity of 0.3 microtesla and low power
consumption during normal operation at 0.54
milliamps.
Complete solution from one single source
Bosch is the only supplier on the market that
produces all MEMS sensors itself and therefore is
not reliant on components from external suppliers.
The sensor developers have provided the eCompass
component with sophisticated evaluation algorithms
that are perfectly coordinated with the BMC050 for
calculating direction reliably and precisely from
the sensors’ raw data – precision is a key criterion
for the developers of consumer electronics. Also
included is the software for integrating the
eCompass into the host application. It is available
for all conventional cell phone operating systems,
keeping device manufacturers’ costs and the effort
relating to programming and development to a
minimum. Moreover, the engineers from Bosch
Sensortec provide support with regard to the
integration work of the BMC050 and its software.
Know-how: the new FlipCore measurement principle
To calculate the direction, the BMC050 measures the
strength of the Earth’s magnetic field as a vector
along the three spatial directions. In the new
FlipCore measurement principle, a magnetic layer of
just a few millionth of a millimeter thickness is
magnetically reversed periodically. At the time of
each magnetization reversal a detector coil, also
manufactured in MEMS thin-film technology, outputs a
voltage pulse. This pulse train is the sensor's raw
information, since the temporal distance between
applied and detected signal depends on the strength
of the operating terrestrial magnetic field.
Approximately 0.5 degree angular resolution at 1000
microtesla measurement field is attained with this
measurement method.
The new measurement technique is based on the many
years of experience that Bosch has in the
development of MEMS and magnetometer technology. The
new FlipCore sensors are manufactured at Bosch’s
wafer fabs in Reutlingen using tried-and-tested
semiconductor manufacturing processes.
eCompass makes new mobile applications accessible
This digital compass provides new services to mobile
consumer electronics, and these go far beyond merely
displaying the direction. With eCompass, a
pedestrian navigation system at any location can
accurately record any body rotation straight away.
There is no need to branch off for short distances,
which is necessary for map alignment when using the
GPS. Augmented Reality is supported by the sensor
too: If a traveller points at a place of interest
with his cell phone, for example directly in front
of him, then relevant background information can
automatically be imported into the device. While in
the past the acceleration sensors inspired the
ingenuity of device developers, now eCompass
functions also guarantee that there will be new and
surprising innovations in the future. |
◎
2011/10/26 ELMOS: Power efficiency solutions at SPS/IPC/Drives
At the trade show SPS/IPC/Drives 2011, ELMOS
introduces solutions for power efficient systems.
The product portfolio ranges from LED drivers and
current sensors to network semiconductors for
partial network operation. The
 semiconductors
and sensors have consistently been developed for low
power consumption in connection with the highest
degree of precision. SPS/IPC/Drives is Europe’s
leading trade show for electric automation. ELMOS
presents a new LED controller family (E522.3x
chips). The ICs are designed for input voltages
between 5V and 55V and an output voltage of up to
60V in boost mode, and they can control one or two
LED chains – depending on the type. In addition to
high robustness, the components offer a great
variety in the selection of circuit topologies to be
used. They can be integrated into boost, SEPIC,
buck-boost, or buck topologies. The switching
frequency can be adjusted to up to 600kHz by means
of an external resistor or synchronized with other
components in master-slave configuration. The
current sensor E524.50 facilitates contactless and
thus galvanically isolated measurement of direct
currents, alternating currents, and impulse
currents. The measuring principle is based on
anisotropic magnetoresistance (the so-called AMR
effect). The component distinguishes itself by its
high bandwidth (from DC to up to 500 kHz), enabling
e.g. the monitoring of IGBT-based power inverters by
means of overcurrent detection which is integrated
already. The fact that it is free of hysteresis and
the compensation principle applied warrant high
precision.
ELMOS has introduced the first chip worldwide
(E520.13) for partial network operation. The chip
makes it possible to activate control units
individually whenever their functionality is
required. High energy savings can thus be achieved.
This chip ensures that partial network transceivers
as well as conventional high-speed CAN transceivers
can be operated together in one network
(interoperability). SPS/IPC/Drives 2011 takes place
at Messe Nuremberg from 11/22 to 11/24/2011. You
will find ELMOS in hall 3 at stand 3-139. |
◎
2011/09/11 ELMOS at VDI conference “Electronics in
Vehicles”
Semiconductor expertise for interface, power and
motor applications
ELMOS presents new products addressing the issues
energy saving/electromobility at the VDI
Wissensforum “Electronics in Vehicles 2011”. Partial
network operation in the vehicle (partial CAN), LED
controllers and stepper motor drivers take center
stage.
With the E520.13, ELMOS has introduced the world's
first IC to realize safe CAN partial network
operation. The partial network mode makes it
possible to individually activate control units
whose functionality is not permanently required.
Thus high energy savings can be achieved. The use of
this chip ensures that partial network transceivers
as well as conventional high-speed CAN transceivers
can be operated together in one network
(interoperability).ELMOS also presents a new LED controller family
(chips E522.3x ). The ICs are designed for input
voltages between 5V and up to 55V and an output
voltage of up to 60V in boost mode and they can be
operated – depending on the version – in single
and/or dual LED chain mode. In addition to great
robustness, the components offer a large variety in
the selection of circuit topologies to be used.
The E520.01 is suited for driving up to three
unipolar stepper motors. The IC is distinguished by
its comprehensive protective functions: The 12-fold
driver features high-performance motor stalling
detection and elaborate diagnostic and security
functions for the protection of the whole system. |
◎
2011/09/14 Rightware announces Android OS benchmark:
Basemark OS for Android
The comprehensive system-wide Android OS benchmark
to pinpoint performance bottlenecks
Espoo, Finland – September 14, 2011 – Rightware, the
leader in embedded 3D user interface (UI)
technologies, today launched the Basemark™ OS for
Android, the latest addition to company’s
world-class roster of benchmark products. Basemark
OS for Android enables an objective system-wide
comparison of Android-based devices with accurate
and a reliable suite of benchmark tests for mobile
phones, pads, consumer electronics and other
embedded devices running Android OS on ARM and x86
architectures.Basemark OS for Android provides a
comprehensive set of tests with easy-to-understand
test reports: system tests aimed to stress the
standard Android applications, messaging services,
Java, file operations, memory IO, databases, zip
compression and decompression, as well as the
classic Dhrystone ALU and Whetstone FPU tests. The
graphic tests featured in Basemark OS for Android
allow accurate measurement of 2D imaging, image
scaling, JPEG, PNG and GIF encoding and decoding,
and a compelling 3D test set with fillrate,
polycount, lighting, texturing and rendering tests,
plus a 3D game test based on OpenGL ES. Media
decoding tests include H263, H264, MP4 and 3GP video
decoding tests as well as AMR, AAC, MP3 and WAV
audio decoding tests. In addition, Basemark OS for
Android provides program startup tests for various
standard Android applications, Bluetooth and Dialer.
Basemark OS for Android is developed under
Rightware’s Benchmarking Development Program (BDP)
with the same expertise and passion as other
Rightware benchmark products and in close
cooperation with the world’s leading semiconductor
companies and mobile device manufacturers. The
fundamental purpose of the benchmark is to provide
the end-user with an objective way to compare the
performance of different hardware platforms running
Android OS.“Android has been a tremendous platform
for mobile and consumer devices, and people working
around its ecosystem have been complaining about the
lack of a professional benchmark that provides all
stakeholders with a reliable base to measure the
system-wide performance of Android-based devices,”
said Tero Sarkkinen, CEO of Rightware. “We decided
to offer Rightware’s competence and resources to set
this thing straight and provide ground-breaking
product to hardware manufacturers, OEMs, independent
software developers as well as tech savvy consumers
to pinpoint the performance bottlenecks accurately.” |
◎2011/09/01 ELMOS: PSI5 interface chip is first
component worldwide to pass conformance test
E981.08 for safe sensor systems with up to 12
sensors
 Dortmund:
ELMOS presents the 981.08 as the first semiconductor
worldwide that has passed the conformance tests
according to PSI5 specification V1.3, conducted by
an external test lab recommended by the PSI5
consortium. PSI5 is an open standard for
bidirectional digital sensor data communication in
vehicles. Compared to analog options, this solution
has advantages particularly with respect to
robustness, reliability, and costs. The standard is
applied, among other fields of use, for connecting
distributed sensors for the control of airbag
systems, chassis, and powertrain. The component
E981.08 supports the entire range of topologies for
synchronous operation as described by the PSI5
specification (PSI5-P, PSI5-U, and PSI5-D). It
provides four independent channels through which up
to three distributed sensors each can be connected
to a microcontroller. Each channel supplies its
sensors, connected via a low-cost two-wire line,
with a controlled direct current voltage. The
bidirectional communication between microcontroller
and sensors also makes use of the two-wire line by
means of current or voltage modulation. The
available data rata from sensor to microcontroller
comes to 125 kbit/s. It is thus considerably higher
than in LIN networks yet below CAN network data
rates, but at lower wiring expense. In addition to
the PSI5 component E981.08 with four channels, the
two-channel E981.07 is also available. Other
components featuring the universal, fast, and safe
sensor bus system PSI5 are in the development and
planning stages. |
◎2011/08/26 ELMOS: motor driver with LIN/PWM
interface and controller supply
E523.01: B6 bridge driver with voltage regulator,
watchdog, reset, and wake-up functions
 With
the E523.01, ELMOS presents an EC motor driver with
all the functions required for the configuration of
a complete, low-cost system. Apart from the
high-performance bridge driver, for communication
purposes the semiconductor features a LIN2.1
compatible interface as well as a PWM interface with
data pre-processing. For an external microprocessor,
optional 3.3 or 5.0V voltage supply (70mA), reset,
and a configurable window watchdog are provided. The
E523.01 is suited for use in automotive as well as
industrial applications; target applications range
from radiator and blower fans and gas, hydraulic,
oil and water pumps to wiper applications as well as
industrial motors (fans, pumps) up to a voltage of
28V.
The motor driver powers 3 external NMOS half-bridges
for BLDC or DC motors, optionally with 3 or 6 PWM
input signals. Small loads can be directly
controlled. The dead time between the high-side and
low-side FETs can be adjusted most precisely via SPI
interface, thus enabling the optimized control of
the power drivers. Elaborate diagnostic and
protective features such as short-circuit detection
at all external FETs and voltage, current and
temperature monitoring provide for the best possible
safety. Due to its very low power loss and the
efficient QFN package, the IC can also be used in
high-temperature environments. Other characteristics
of the E523.01 are the low standby current drain
(<50µA), the motor current measuring amplifier, and
the optional boost transistor for the integrated
voltage regulator. With the help of this external
transistor, the microprocessor can be supplied with
higher current levels or the internal power loss of
the E523.01 can be minimized even further.In
addition to the E523.01, the E523.11 is available
with just a PWM interface. Both products can be
supplied in the QFN44L7 or the QSOP44 package. |
◎
2011/08/18 Rightware's CEO Relocates to Shanghai
The move allows efficient execution of company’s
Asia strategy and strengthening of its customer
relationships
Shanghai, China and Espoo, Finland – August 18, 2011
– Rightware, the leader in embedded 3D user
interface (UI) technologies, today announced that
its Chief Executive Officer, Tero Sarkkinen, has
relocated to Shanghai, China. With this move,
Rightware accelerates the expansion of its
operations in China and continues the execution of
its Asia strategy efficiently. In 2010, the company
established a wholly owned subsidiary in Shanghai
which also acts as the Asia Pacific regional
headquarters. Within Asia, Rightware has established
an extensive customer base in China, Japan, Korea
and Taiwan. In addition to driving Asia business
growth, Mr. Sarkkinen continues to serve as the CEO
of Rightware.
“China has rapidly become one of the leading markets
for advanced graphics technologies. While we have
had active operations and great customers in China
already for some years now, we recently identified
remarkable potential to substantially increase our
market share and business in China and whole Asia.
Therefore, it’s only natural that Rightware has an
appropriate presence in this key location. Most
importantly, the move allows us to serve our current
customers, such as China Mobile, China Telecom,
Huawei, LG, MediaTek, Renesas, Samsung and ZTE –
just to name a few – better and with proper
magnitude,” said Tero Sarkkinen. “I'm eager to
expand our role in Asia as a top 3D UI technology
provider for embedded industries as well as a
provider of the industry's leading benchmark
products for mobile and automotive customers,”
continued Sarkkinen. Tero Sarkkinen has served as
the CEO of Rightware since founding the company in
2009. Prior to Rightware, Mr. Sarkkinen was the CEO
of Futuremark Corp., a leading PC graphics benchmark
software provider. Mr. Sarkkinen holds a Master of
Science in Business Administration from Aalto
University Business School in Helsinki, Finland, and
has completed executive programs at Stanford
Graduate School of Business. |
◎
2011/07/14 Receiving 『 Best Distributor Award 』 from
Bosch Sensortec GmbH on July 14th, 2011.
 |
◎
2011/07/12 ELMOS: Sensor signal readout IC with SENT
interface
 With
the E520.33, ELMOS introduces a sensor signal
readout chip with a SENT interface. The digital SENT
interface enables the chip’s use in next generation
automotive control devices. The semiconductor is
qualified according to AEC-Q100 and supports
virtually any resistive sensor bridge. The
configurable sensor signal readout electronics
provide the following functions: sensor signal
amplification, digital compensation and
linearization for sensor signals, and sensor and
self diagnostics. Configuration and calibration are
saved in the integrated EEPROM. Among other
applications, the E520.33 is suited for use in
connection with piezoresistive MEMS, thin and thick
film sensors applied to ceramics or steel, and
strain gauges. Measured data may include pressure,
strain, applied load, and torque. Accordingly, the
sensor can be used for processing data supplied by
the a/c system or other automotive applications,
such as breaking system, emission control, or tank
fill level/internal pressure. A programmable
amplifier makes input voltages between 3 to 400 mV
possible. In addition, a sensor offset of up to
+/-250% full scale (FS) can be compensated. The
E520.33 features a separate temperature measuring
channel with four sensor options: on-chip, bridge
resistor, external diode, and external resistor.
Thus all potential sources for temperature
measurement can be integrated and recorded
continuously totally independent of pressure
measuring. The component supports SENT according to
SAE J2716 draft rev. 3 and is supplied as bare die
or in a TSSOP20 4.4 package. Samples and evaluation
boards are available. |
◎
2011/06/20 ELMOS: E520.01 for stepper motor
applications
12-fold driver with motor stalling detection and
additional LED and PWM functions
 With
the E520.01, ELMOS presents a semiconductor for
driving up to three unipolar stepper motors. The IC
is distinguished by its elaborate protective
features: The 12-fold driver comes with
high-performance motor stalling detection and
comprehensive diagnostic and safety functions for
the protection of the whole system.
The IC is qualified for automotive and industrial
applications. Potential fields of use are stepper
motors, DC motors, relay and LED applications, or
switch control circuits.Stalling detection is the
outstanding protective function. If the motor
stalls, it is switched off automatically if opted
for; potential static noise is thus eliminated and
the mechanical components are protected against
overload. The other protective features include
extensive short-circuit protection (detection,
limitation, and diagnostics), allowing for safe
operation even under inductive loads. Each output is
monitored independently of each other for short
circuits or interruption. Overvoltage and
undervoltage switch-off and temperature monitoring
complete the safety functions. Not only stepper
motors but also LED’s or relays can be operated at
the 12 outputs. For this purpose, the component has
3 adjustable PWM generators whose frequencies are
200Hz or 25kHz according to adjustment. The duty
cycle allows for linear or logarithmic
configuration. Apart from configuration and
diagnostics, the stepper motors are driven through
an SPI interface. For this purpose, the stepper
pattern desired by the customer (full step, half
step, or wave drive) is simply transferred. All
other functions such as automatic stalling detection
are provided by the IC. If only 8 channels are
required, the E520.03 can be used. The IC E520.01 is
supplied in a QFN 32L5 package, the E520.03 in a QFN
20L5 package. |
◎
2011/05/31
 Receiving
『Best Rightware Sales Partner 2010』 award from Mr.
Tero Sarkkinen, CEO of Rightware on May 31st, 2011. |
◎
2011/05/19 Rightware launches Basemark® ES 2.0 –
successor of the world famous 3DMark® Mobile ES 2.0
ESPOO, Finland – May 19, 2011 – Rightware, the
leader in 3D user interface technology, today
announced the release of Basemark® ES 2.0, the most
compelling benchmark product to enable objective
benchmarking of smartphones, tablets and other
embedded devices. Having a long legacy of OpenGL ES
2.0 benchmarking products, Rightware’s latest
Basemark ES 2.0 enables device manufacturers,
semiconductor companies and operators to measure a
holistic performance of the different hardware
platforms using OpenGL ES 2.0.As Basemark ES 2.0 has
been developed in close cooperation with world’s
leading semiconductor companies and mobile phone
manufacturers, it provides scientifically studied,
reliable test cases to test the 3D graphics
performance of mobile 3D hardware. High-detail 3D
content generates workloads that tax OpenGL ES 2.0
3D hardware in a realistic, visually stunning way
and provided tests add value in benchmarking of
high-definition graphics and graphic acceleration.
Basemark ES 2.0 also enables Image Quality Testing
with its capability of saving default frames from
both game tests - Taiji and Hover - in image files
that are then comparable with the images provided by
the benchmark."Today, it’s all about differentiation
in mobile devices, and performance of the user
interface can be seen as a significant
differentiator as graphical content becomes more
complex and visually rich. We’re happy to announce
the Basemark ES 2.0 to tackle many of challenges our
customers face today,” said Tero Sarkkinen, CEO of
Rightware. “Basemark ES 2.0 is the tool for device
manufacturers who want to ensure that they choose
the right silicon and build their device only with
the best hardware. Also, the semiconductor companies
can discover in the earliest phase of development
potential user interface-related problems before
hitting the market,” continued Tero Sarkkinen. |
◎
2011/04/18 RESCAR 2.0 Enhances the Robustness of
Electronic Automotive Components
Major Step on the Path to Becoming a Leading
Electromobility Supplier
Whether in the powertrain, in central control units
or in body and convenience electronics – there is a
constant increase in the proportion of electronic
components used in the car. This trend is
accompanied by growing complexity of the systems
installed, meaning that designers are forever faced
with new challenges in the fine tuning. Six partners
from all levels of the development chain have now
joined forces in a quest to come up with overarching
solutions. The members of the RESCAR 2.0 research
project (RESCAR being the German acronym for the
robust design of new electronic components for
applications in the field of electromobility) seek
to enhance the reliability and robustness of
electronic automotive components. The project is
receiving support from the German Federal Ministry
of Education and Research (BMBF) to the tune of
approximately Euro 6.5 million as part of the
funding program known as “STROM” (German acronym
signifying key technologies for electromobility).
Together with the partners, the joint research
investment volume is planned at about Euro 13.3
million over the coming three years.As the
proportion of electronic components used in the car
increases, so the interplay between the individual
modules becomes ever more complex. Furthermore, in
changing over central vehicle systems – such as the
steering and brakes – from mechanical and hydraulic
components to their electrical and electronic
counterparts, compliance with the strictest safety
standards is required. These safety aspects as well
as the diverse interdependencies of the components
have to be factored also into the semiconductor
development process and reconciled with the
requirements of the respective application.RESCAR
2.0 aims at optimizing the entire development
process of electrical and electronic components of
electromobility systems to enable the robustness and
reliability of the overall system to be predicted
right from the outset. Among the tasks planned is
the development of methodology to capture and
process the requirements for new components.
Moreover, robustness analyses will be designed to
investigate the suitability of the components for
the application envisaged. The components under
study will encompass analog and digital circuits in
the low-voltage range as well as high-volt mixed
signal ICs and sensor systems. Partners from all
levels of the development chain are participating in
RESCAR 2.0: AUDI AG, the BMW AG (associated project
partner), ELMOS Semiconductor AG, the Research
Center for Information Technology (FZI), Infineon
Technologies AG and Robert Bosch GmbH. Support is
provided by the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability
and Microintegration (IZM) Berlin, the Fraunhofer
Institute for Integrated Circuits (IIS) Dresden, the
University of Bremen, the Dresden University of
Technology, the University of Hanover and the
University of Tuebingen. The project is coordinated
by Infineon. In the light of the increasing demand
for energy and growing need for personal mobility,
the significance of electric drives is gaining in
momentum. They enable the use of renewable energy
sources and thus contribute to reducing pollutant
emissions. The German Federal Government has set
itself the goal of turning Germany into the lead
market and leading supplier for electromobility by
having one million electric vehicles on the road by
the year 2020. RESCAR 2.0 makes an important
contribution, given that achieving the necessary
public acceptance of electric cars is reliant on
them matching the performance, safety and
convenience of conventionally powered vehicles. |
◎
2011/01/11 ELMOS: First dual IO-Link master
worldwide
E981.12 integrates UARTs, thus leading to low system
costs
Dortmund: With the E981.12, ELMOS introduces the
first dual IO-Link master transceiver worldwide.
 IO-Link
is a low cost communication system at the lowest
level of industrial automation. It allows for the
communication of the conventional binary-switch
interface between sensors/actuators and controller
(PLC) at up to 230 kbit/s for the first time.The IC
integrates two UARTs. This innovation offers a
scalable implementation of multi-port systems
(2-/4-/8-/16-port) to the customer – regardless of
the number of UARTs of the µC in use. The UART
solution provided by the E981.12 reduces system
costs significantly as no expensive µC with UARTs
must be applied. However, the UARTs integrated into
the µC can also be used of course.The power supply
and configurable current limiting of the sensors
(L+) can optionally be provided through external
power FETs, lowering power loss considerably below
100mW per channel. The E981.12 has an SPI interface
for configuration, programming, and diagnostics. The
safety features include overvoltage and
short-circuit protection with configurable
thresholds. The E981.12 – Dual IO-Link Master
Transceiver made by ELMOS comes in the space-saving
QFN44L7 package and has an input voltage range from
8V to 32V. E981.12 samples and evaluation boards are
now available.The E981.12 Dual IO-Link Master
Transceiver is the latest member of the ELMOS
IO-Link family. Among other products, ELMOS offers
the E981.10 – Basic IO-Link Transceiver for sensors
and actuators as well. Both components are also
available from our cooperation partner Renesas as a
“system in one package” (SIP). This all-in-one
solution consists of a Renesas microcontroller
(78K0R), an IO-Link V1.1 compatible TMG software
stack, and the ELMOS IC. |
◎
2010/11/30 E520.13 realizes power-saving control
devices
Dortmund, November 30, 2010: With the E520.13, ELMOS
introduces the first IC worldwide that realizes safe
CAN partial network operation. The partial network
mode makes it possible to individually activate
control devices whose permanent
 operation
is not required. If for example ten control devices
in a vehicle are designed for partial network
operation, CO2 emission can be reduced by approx.
0.5 grams per kilometer. The E520.13 is currently
being tested in a vehicle by a major German OEM key
customer already.The component represents an HS-CAN
transceiver according to ISO 11898-5, featuring
remote wake-up by means of an individually
configurable wake-up message (wake-up frame or WUF)
for the realization of partial network operation, in
addition to the usual wake-up sources. If the
transceiver is directly battery-supplied in partial
network operation, as is common practice in sleep
mode operation today, all other components of the
control device can be deactivated. The partial
network transceiver monitors the bus traffic,
analyzes it down to the bit level, and responds to
the control device’s individual wake-up message. In
this partial network mode, the power input of the
control device is below 500 µA.One application
example is the seat control device. If the function
of the control device is selected, the device is
activated selectively for the period of time
required for operation. Other applications are
•trailer control device,
•“intelligent” valve block,
•door control device,
•air-conditioning control panel,
•rearview camera,
•auxiliary heating, and
•power sunroof.
•For an application video clip please click here
The tasks of filing and reading out the individual
wake-up message, configuring parameters and
controlling state transitions are facilitated by an
SPI-compatible interface (Serial Peripheral
Interface) to the microcontroller.
The E520.13 guarantees that both partial network
transceivers and conventional high-speed CAN
transceivers according to ISO 11898-5 can be
operated together in one network (interoperability). |
◎
2010/11/17LMOS: Low-energy step-down converter
family
E522.01/02/03/04: Lowest input current for
standby-current sensitive applications
 Dortmund:
ELMOS introduces a new step-down converter family
with the extremely low input current of 12µA in
closed-loop operation. The product family includes 4
types with fixed output voltages of 5V or 3.3V and
500 mA or 350 mA maximum load currents. One
outstanding feature of these new components is
called adaptive power control (APC), adjusting the
converter’s own operating current to the load
current. By means of APC and the sophisticated PFM
control circuit, high degrees of efficiency are
achieved even under the lowest load currents. This
facilitates highly efficient voltage supply in the
smallest space. The control circuit does not require
compensation and responds extraordinarily fast to
changes in load current and input voltage.
Adjustable current limiting provides for the precise
tuning of theinductor to the calculated load current
and thus adds to the further limitation of
installation space.
The chip family at a glance:
|
Product |
Vout |
IL(max) |
|
E522.01 |
5.0V |
500mA |
|
E522.02 |
3.3V |
500mA |
|
E522.03 |
5.0V |
350mA |
|
E522.04 |
3.3V |
350mA |
The chip
family can be used for automotive and industrial
applications, e.g. for the supply of controllers in
the areas gateway, body computer, power sunroof
modules, and SRAM voltage supply, as well as for
general functions in the supply of logic
controllers. It is also suited for the automotive
and industrial use of sensors and microcontrollers.
The high integration scale and the high operating
frequency of up to 1.3 MHz minimize the number and
size of external components required. The
converters’ output voltages are stable even without
load current, and there is no regulating
oscillation. The components operate up to a duty
cycle of 100% withvery low voltage drop. Due to
these advantages, the chips qualify as an
alternative to LDO regulators, even in the low power
range. The feature set is completed by jump-start
strength and elaborate safety features (integrated
overtemperature and overvoltage protection). The
component comes in a QFN20L4 or a TSSOP16 package. |
◎
2010/08/05 ELMOS: BLDC motor controller with
sensorless commutation method
E981.15: detection of rotor position from standstill
to maximum motor speed
 Dortmund:
ELMOS introduces the BLDC motor controller E981.15.
Assisted by a special process (VirtuHall®), the
standard product E981.15 controls a BLDC/PMSM motor
without additional external sensors. Under any
potential operating conditions, from standstill to
maximum motor speed, this sensorless commutation
method utilizes the same motor characteristics for
the detection of the rotor position. Thus switching
between different detection methods is avoided and
the risk of position loss and incorrect commutation
is eliminated. The E981.15 includes controller and
driver for the control of 6 N-channel power FETs
with PWM frequencies of between 20 kHz and 60kHz and
provides a great amount of error and diagnostic
features.The chip addresses a broad range of
potential applications. In addition to the basic
voltage control of a BLDC motor, the regulation of
speed or moments, the sensorless positioning of
drive trains, and even servo applications can be
realized. Particularly if applied in highly dynamic
systems e.g. with a very fast motor start at maximum
torque or at high cycles, the VirtuHall® method
shows its particular strengths by driving the motor
at the utmost efficiency under any circumstances.The
basis for the position detection of the rotor in
relation to the magnetic field is the proportion of
the three phase inductivities. The IC autonomously
drives the B6 bridge, and a sophisticated temporal
positioning of the switch-on and switch-off slew
rates facilitates the measuring of current
inductivity conditions. With each new PWM period the
measured analog values are digitized, the current
rotor position is determined in real time, and the
phase voltages are set for the next period. Sinewave
commutation or block commutation can be selected for
controlling the motor. The extensive motor
protection features include among others phase
short-circuit, detection of too low bootstrap
voltages, overvoltage and undervoltage protection,
and overcurrent detection. Through the 3.3V and 5V
compatible SPI interface, the component is informed
about the desired motor voltage and the motor’s
direction of rotation. The IC assumes the required
commutation of the motor and communicates updated
data on rotor position and past revolutions to the
microcontroller in each PWM cycle. This information
can then be used for an individual control
circuit.By the use of the sensorless VirtuHall®
principle, system costs can be minimized through the
reduction of material usage, constructed space, and
weight. In combination with the space saving 7x7QFN
package and the IC’s low standby current draw, the
result is a high-performance solution for efficient
motor control. |
◎
2010/07/19 Sensorless DC motor controller E910.71
Samples and series products available
 Dortmund:
With the E910.71, ELMOS presents an ASSP for the
control of 3 to 5 DC motors. The IC uses a so-called
“pulse detection” method, which facilitates the
sensorless position detection of an actuator driven
by a DC motor. Due to the multiple analysis of the
motor commutation modulated current signal, the chip
has an outstanding accuracy regarding actuator
positioning. By the use of a configuration register,
pulse detection can be adjusted to different motor
types.Possible applications are actuators for e.g.
climate flaps in automobiles as well as small
actuating drives in industrial applications.The IC
E910.71 has 6 integrated, configurable half bridges
able to drive 3 DC motor at the same time or up to 5
motors sequentially. The chip receives all the
required data via an SPI interface, such as motor
address, the direction of rotation, or the amount of
errant pulses. After the transmission of this small
amount of data, the chips controls the half bridges
and drives the corresponding motor to the desired
position. In this process, 3 autonomous pulse
detectors (ripple counters) continually convert the
amplitudes in the motor current into digital
signals, to be analyzed by the internal logic unit.
When the target position is reached, the motor stops
automatically and the counted amount of the driven
pulses are transmitted back to the controller. If a
stall occurs, the IC turns off the motor.
Besides motor control, the following data is
transmitted to the µC through the SPI interface:
overcurrent, overtemperature, and stall detection.
An additional signal conduct indicates that the
targeted motor position is reached or that new
diagnosis data are available.Multiple chips can be
connected cascaded as a daisy chain. The chip is
shipped in a space-saving QFN or SO28 package.
Features:
• Pulse detection rate > 99.99% possible
• 6 half bridges configurable to drive 3, 4, or 5 DC
motors
• Output current max. 540mA per half bridge
• Three independent pulse detectors and counters
• Adjustable parameters to drive a high number of
different motor types
• SPI for communication with μC
• Diagnostic data via SPI
• Stall detection
• Overtemperature protection
• Overvoltage and undervoltage detection
• Supply voltage range 6V to 18V (max 40V for 500ms)
• Operating temperature range -40°C to +85°C
• SOIC 28 package |
◎
2010/06/23 ELMOS: Step down controller with high
efficiency
E910.28 requires few external components
 Dortmund.
With the E910.28 ELMOS presents a step down
controller with high efficiency. It can achieve an
efficiency of up to 95%. Due to the usage of a PFM
controller the chip delivers an excellent efficiency
and at low load the chip has an extreme low current
consumption of typ 20µA. This switch controller
works at an input voltage range of 5V up to 60V and
delivers due to the maximum possible 100% duty cycle
output voltages of 250mV close to the input voltage.
These features enable a lot of possible
applications, like automotive or industrial current
or voltage supply, controllable amplifiers for
highly variable loads, processor supply or even high
performance LED driver for dimmable displays.
Regarding the usage there are barely no limits due
to the wide input voltage and the control of eternal
mosfets with synchrony alignment. Beside the wide
application range focus was set on minimal external
components, so the system costs can be kept low. In
addition to the standard devices only 7 discrete
components are needed for all functions.
The high switch frequency (> 300kHz) enables small
external components. Highest rate of flexibility is
achieved by the use of a shunt, which determines the
voltage output maximum. The converter performance
depends on external components and can reach a few
ten watt. The internal controller current can be
switched – depending on the demand – between 200mV
for current controllers and 1.2V for voltage
regulators. As an alternative the reference voltage
is supplied by an external source, e.g. a D/A
converter. The signal “power good” can also be used
as a reset signal for a micro controller. In
addition the integrated circuit has a shift able
watchdog input and can switch off the output voltage
if a watchdog cycle fails.The chip has manifold
safety features (under voltage, over current and
over temperature) and works at ambience temperatures
of –40°C up to +125°C. The E910.28 is offered in a
TSSOP24EP package. |
◎
2010/05/31 ELMOS chip recognizes touch,
approximation, and gesture
 Dortmund,
31 May, 2010: With the new and innovative ASSP
E909.06, ELMOS presents a sensor system working on
an optical and capacitive basis at the same time.
Both systems can be used simultaneously and can
exchange information among each other. It is
therefore possible to combine the known advantages
of a capacitive switch with a touchless recognition
of gesture provided by optical sensorics. Even
low-end SMD infrared LEDs facilitate a range of up
to 30 centimeters.In this chip the patented
measuring principle HALIOS® (High Ambient Light
Independent Optical System) comes to use. It is not
affected by extreme light or changing ambient light.
In addition the new temperature stabilization device
avoids distortion due to chip specific upturn and
downturn of infrared LED intensity.Possible
applications are: HMI devices (Human Machine
Interface) such as touchless on/off switches, a zoom
function along the z-axis, or gesture-controlled
direction recognition. The infrared sensors are
virtually invisible: hidden behind a completely
closed dark surface. Due to the detection before
touching the switch, a corresponding symbol can be
illuminated to indicate possible operation for
instance. Examples like this one can be experienced
and tested with the function demonstrator “HALIOS®
ProxDimm light”.The ELMOS IC E909.06 offers four
independent sending channels, a special differential
receiver input and the characteristic compensation
channel, all in one compact QFN 5x5 32 Ld package.
Furthermore the chip has eight digital input and
output channels as well as an I²C and a SPI resp.
LIN interface.The system’s response time can be
controlled quickly and easily by a software
application. The actual measuring process consists
of an energy-saving pulse package which takes about
250 µs/channel. Thereafter the received signal is
available in the integrated 16-bit microcontroller
for customer specific evaluation.
The evaluation of characteristic gestures enables
the touchless control of devices and applications,
e.g. for the automotive segment (qualification: AEC
Q100), mobile phones, remote controls, and
industrial and medical applications. |
◎
2010/05/14 Rightware Forms Partnership with Mostyle
Corporation in Taiwan
Relationship accelerates business development and
provides Rightware customers in Taiwan with local
expert service
Espoo, Finland – May 17, 2010. Rightware Oy launched
today active business operations in Taiwan signing
Mostyle Corporation as their exclusive
representative in Taiwan.Under the partnership,
Mostyle will actively market and promote Rightware's
Kanzi™ user interface middleware solution and
performance benchmarking software for smartphones,
automotive and embedded applications. Kanzi™
continues to be adopted world wide as manufacturers
use it to design and deploy advanced graphical user
interfaces to mobile phones and other embedded
devices.“Taiwan is the home of many world class
device manufacturers and semiconductor companies,
therefore our products and services have solid
demand there”, said Tero Sarkkinen, CEO of Rightware.
“Mostyle's established track record and the
top-notch professionalism of their personnel have
made a strong impression on me. I am very happy to
announce our partnership today and believe it will
result in increased business in Taiwan.”"Mostyle has
extensive customer base in mobile phone and embedded
markets as well as longstanding cooperation history
with IC design companies", said Wilfred Hsiao,
Executive VP of Mostyle Corporation. "We now look
forward to cooperating with Rightware and hope we
can become inseparable strategic partner to
strengthen the Taiwanese market.” |
◎
2010/04/22 Rightware Launches OMSMark™ -- A
Benchmark Developed in Cooperation with China Mobile
The world’s largest network operator chooses OMSMark™
to evaluate cell phone application performance
Espoo, Finland – April 20, 2010. Rightware Oy, the
world’s leading developer of benchmarking software
for mobile and embedded devices, launched today
OMSMark™, a new benchmarking software developed in
cooperation with China Mobile.China Mobile has
chosen to use Rightware’s OMSMark as its standard
testing suite for OMS handset qualification. With
OMSMark, China Mobile and its handset partners have
the ideal tool for accurately and reliably measuring
the performance of cell phones running the OMS
operating system. OMSMark is based on Rightware’s
established SPMark® product line of benchmarks and
has additional tests developed under the guidance of
China Mobile. Detailed product information is
available at http://www.rightware.com/OMSMark.
“We are very satisfied with the cooperation with
China Mobile during the development of OMSMark.
While we have earlier established a proven track
record in making industry standard and objective
benchmarking software, we are naturally very proud
to launch OMSMark with the backing of such an
important player as China Mobile,” said Tero
Sarkkinen, CEO of Rightware. “By using OMSMark,
China Mobile is showing its partners and customers
it is serious about delivering a world class cell
phone experience.”
About Rightware
Rightware serves the mobile and automotive
industries with Kanzi™ solution for rapid user
interface design and deployment. Rightware also
develops industry leading system performance
analysis tools. The world renowned product portfolio
includes 3DMark®Mobile for OpenGL ES 1.x and OpenGL
ES 2.0, VGMark® for OpenVG 1.x, and SPMark® platform
benchmark for Symbian, Android, Windows Mobile,
Linux and mobile Java. Rightware is headquartered in
Espoo, Finland and has office in Shanghai. |
◎
2010/04/22 Rightware Debuts BrowserMark™
Consumers will benefit from new information
revealing substantial performance differences
between different browsers
Espoo, Finland – April 14, 2010. Rightware extends
its benchmarking software coverage to mobile and
embedded device web browsers by today’s launch of
BrowserMark™. Rightware offers two versions of the
product. Consumers can check which browser is the
best for them with the free version of the
benchmark, whereas the corporate version enables
device manufacturers to evaluate and choose better
performing browsers for their products. Consumers,
as well as independent media and analysts, can
immediately run the test and see which browser
performs the best with various devices. In its
internal testing, Rightware has determined that
substantial performance differences exist between
different browsers for one and same device.
Consumers are advised to consider switching to
faster performing browsers as they can gain
significant power saving benefits and obtain a
better usage experience. Rightware’s BrowserMark™ is
an independent and trustworthy guide for them in
this task.“Given the exponentially increasing usage
of internet via cell phones and other handheld
devices, we knew that the world needed an objective
performance comparison tool” says Tero Sarkkinen,
CEO of Rightware. “With BrowserMark, we’re helping
the industry develop better performing browsers for
their devices. Consumers reap the benefits in the
form of more efficient browsers that provide faster
browsing experience.” |
◎
2010/04/19 Nanotron's Transceiver Enables ISO
Compliant Real Time Locating Systems
Berlin, April 16th, 2010 – The International
Organization for Standardization and the
International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC)
have recently published the new standard for Real
Time Locating Systems (RTLS), ISO/IEC 24730-5:2010.
The standard is based on Nanotron Technologies'
Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) technology, which offers
decisive benefits such as accurate location,
reliable two-way data communication, and low power
consumption. Nanotron Technologies' transceiver
nanoLOC fulfills the specifications for the CSS air
interface of ISO/IEC 24730-5 and enables compliant
systems.ISO/IEC 24730 defines air interface
protocols and an application programming interface
(API) for real-time locating systems (RTLS). The
ISO/IEC work group that is responsible for defining
standards for Real Time Locating Systems has
recently published its standard 24730-5.ISO/IEC
24730-5:2010 defines an air interface protocol that
utilizes Chirp Spread Spectrum (CSS) at frequencies
from 2.4 GHz to 2.483 GHz. This protocol supports
bidirectional communication and two-way ranging
between readers and tags of an RTLS. The mandatory
default mode ensures interoperability between tags
and infrastructure from various manufacturers, while
the availability of several options offers
flexibility to the developer of the infrastructure
to adapt the behavior of the overall system to the
specific application needs.The air interface
protocol, which is defined by ISO, contains three
layers: PHY, MAC, and Tag Application Layer.Nanotron
Technologies has been actively engaged in the ISO/IEC
work group (JTC1/SC31 WG5) since 2006 and will
continue to work on the standardization of leading
edge RTLS technologies. Based on this, Nanotron's
transceiver nanoLOC fulfills the specifications of
the CSS air interface of ISO 24730-5. All mandatory
PHY and MAC features are implemented in the
hardware. The Tag Application Layer as the third
layer is typically implemented in software.Nanotron
is committed to open industry standards and offers
total solutions encompassing chips, RF modules,
networking software, development tools, and custom
project support.Nanotron's CEO Dr. Jens Albers says:
“The new application standard is a further milestone
on our roadmap to satisfying the market demand for
suitable RTLS solutions. Key customers and partners
worldwide are working on Chirp-based products. A
standard-compliant solution will help increase our
logistics market share for tracking valuable assets
and people.” |
◎
2010/04/15 Nanotron announces version
3.0 of its successful nanoLOC Development Kit
The fast and convenient way to create reliable,
accurate and low power location-based wireless
applications
nanoLOC Development Kit 3.0 Released
Berlin, April 15, 2010 - Nanotron Technologies, a
leading provider of wireless location-based
solutions, today announces version 3.0 of its
successful nanoLOC Development Kit. The new release
features a significantly enhanced location engine
and a number of driver improvements. With the kit’s
ready to use hardware and software, customers are
able to focus on developing location-based
applications right from the beginning of their
product development. The nanoLOC Development Kit 3.0
is a complete, easy to use set of tools for
evaluating, prototyping and developing applications
based on the nanoLOC TRX Transceiver. The Kit is
pre-set with a Location Demo to immediately perform
location tracking using its five full-featured
boards as tags and anchors/readers. A number of
additional demo applications like Point-to-Point
Ranging, Talk, Throughput and Sniffer show nanoLOC’s
robust communication and ranging capabilities.
Debugging and flashing tools are also included in
the kit.Embedded applications are provided as sample
code. This way customers are able to focus on
developing location-based applications right from
the beginning of their product development.
Applications supported by the nanoLOC Development
Kit 3.0 include free form protection with
containment and/or barrier as well as Real Time
Location Systems (RTLS).Together with the recently
announced Ranging Kit II, the nanoLOC Development
Kit 3.0 provides a complete set of tools for
assessing the essential RF related properties of a
particular application environment, for proving the
technical feasibility of a nanoLOC-based system
approach and for enabling quick time to market for
the overall solution. |
◎
2010/02/24 ELMOS: IO-Link transceiver ready for
series production
Semiconductor for intelligent industry networks –
EMC test and qualification successfully passed
Dortmund: ELMOS Semiconductor AG has started the
series production of the IO-Link transceiver
E981.10. IO-Link is a
 low
cost communication system for point-to-point
connections of sensors and actuators with Remote-IOs
in the industry sector. The E981.10 allows the
continuous transmission of process data as well as
parameter and diagnostic data down to the lowest
automation level. The development of the E981.10 has
now been completed according to plan with the
qualification and the conclusive EMC tests at the
FTZ Zwickau (Research and Transfer Centre e.V.). The
official test report of the FTZ Zwickau is available
on request. The IC is compatible with existing
standard IO mode interfaces, i.e. the continued use
of available wiring is possible. The parameters of
IO-Link capable sensors and actuators can be
configured in a comfortable and timesaving manner
directly at the process control level individually
for every IO-Link device due to the central
parameter storage.This component performs in a wide
input voltage range from 8 to 36V. The output driver
can provide a current of up to 200mA. The downward
compatibility can be used for present standard IO
applications. The driver allows configuration as low
side, high side or push-pull and features reverse
polarity protection and overcurrent protection.The
slew rate of the IC is switchable which allows low
and optimized electromagnetic radiation. Data
transmission is possible at speeds of up to 230.4
kBit/s. The E981.10 also comes equipped with an
integrated 5V voltage regulator and wakeup
detection. The digital interface is 3.3V/5V
compatible. The IC is available either from ELMOS as
basic transceiver or from NEC as SIP (system in
package) together with a NEC microcontroller. When
used as SIP the NEC 16 bit microcontroller 78K0R
handles the protocol implementation among other
functions. |
◎
2010/02/24 LIN-System Basic Chip with ESD protection
of more than 12kV
ELMOS chip E910.48 complies with OEM requirements
 Dortmund:
With the E910.48 ELMOS presents a LIN System Basic
chip comprising a LIN transceiver, a voltage
regulator and a watchdog. The semiconductor can be
used with every µC in an automotive. Strong emphasis
has been laid on EMC and ESD measures to fulfill the
high automotive requirements. As a result, a system
level ESD stability of more than 12kV (according to
IEC61000-4-2) has been achieved. Therefore the chip
can be used in most cases without additional ESD
protection.The E910.48 fulfills the high
requirements commonly agreed by the German OEMs and
is also approved for French and US-American OEMs.
The E91.48A is available as a series product. There
are three ways to activate the voltage regulator: 1.
exceeding a power-on threshold after the battery
supply had been low, 2. a remote wake-up frame on
the bus, 3. a local digital signal wake-up on the
enable pin. Slope detection and debounce reliably
avoid cyclic wake-up in case of different kinds of
undefined bus potentials. A falling edge at the
enable input forces the IC into sleep mode and
deactivates the voltage regulator.The output voltage
can be selected to be 5V or 3.3V. The integrated
voltage regulator supplies the application with a
load current of up to 100mA. If needed, higher
currents can be realized by means of an external
transistor. The voltage regulator allows stable
operation with a bypass capacitor as low as 100nF
and therefore reduces the costs for external
components.The chip with a LIN1.3, LIN 2.0, LIN 2.1
and SAE-J2602 compatible transceiver in addition has
a watchdog with a time-window, which can be adjusted
from 3ms up to 75ms. The watchdog and the reset
generation are configurable in various ways. As a
reset threshold following values are possible: 3,25V
or 4,45V (5V mode) or 2,94V (3,3V mode). Reset time
can be 9ms or 65ms. Common values can be defined
without external components, thereby minimizing
system costs and maximizing reliability. |
◎
2010/01/07 ELMOS: High performance IC for PIR
(passive infrared) alarm systems
E910.92 offers secure detection due to manifold
configuration options Dortmund: With the E910.92
ELMOS offers a high-performance semiconductor for
use in PIR alarm systems/motion sensors. The ELMOS
ASSP combines all required functions for a
single-chip passive infrared (PIR) motion detector.
The integrated circuit provides a relay and an LED
output for interfacing an alarm system.The signal
processing of alarm systems must guarantee reliable
detection while at the same time minimizing the
probability of false alarms. For this purpose the
E910.92A comes with an optimized readout algorithm
which can be adapted to the specific ambient
conditions over a broad range. If the preset
threshold is exceeded at the input, an internal
alarm impulse is generated. The IC offers the
options to issue an alarm signal either with every
impulse or after the detection of several impulses
in a row. The alarm signal is generated at the
output dependent on the preset number of alarm
impulses within a defined time window (True-Roll™
window).One or two PIR sensors can be connected
directly to the PIR inputs. The pull-down resistors
and DC decoupling circuitry are integrated on-chip.
Inter¬nally, the PIR sensor signal is converted into
a 15 bit digital value.The parameters for
sensitivity (range, threshold), pulse count (alarm
criteria), and tim¬ing are set by connecting the
corresponding inputs to VDD, VSS or leaving them
open. The voltage level on the temperature
compensation input is con¬verted into a digital
value with 4 bit resolution. Due to wiring with a
temperature-dependent pontiometer, a change of the
response sensivity can be realized according to the
ambient temperature.All signal processing is
performed digitally. Therefore parameter
displacements due to the aging of discrete
components are made impossible.The chip’s supply
voltage range is 4.8 V to 48 V, the operating
temperature ranges from -40°C to +85°C. |
◎
2009/11/26 ELMOS presents the automotive-qualified
EC motor driver E910.87
Many protective features – can be completely
configured via an SPI interface
Dortmund: With the ASSP E910.87, ELMOS presents an
automotive-qualified EC motor driver. The IC can be
adjusted to different applications due to many
configuration options. The control of all parameters
is enabled via an SPI interface. The IC also
features manifold motor protective functions, e.g.
overvoltage as well as over-/cross-current
protection.Possible applications include pumps,
fans, steering, compressors, and many other
automotive and industrial applications.
Samples of the IC and an evaluation board are
available and be can requested through our website
at www.elmos.de/englisch/products/order-samples .The
integrated circuit is a gate driver IC for 6 NMOS
FETs. The driver outputs can be controlled at up to
60 kHz. The E910.87 is developed for automotive or
industrial applications with voltages between 4 and
27V. The EC motor is controlled via the power FETs
of the 3 half-bridges. The charge pump applied
approves 100% PWM detection. For low-performance
processors the interface to the µC can be switched
to a special mode. Configuration options and the
integrated free run comparators enable many control
methods.A window watchdog is integrated. An
integrated voltage regulator can power small
µ-processors directly. The motor protective features
include: phase shortcut, gate shortcut, cross
conduction, overvoltage and undervoltage protection
for Vbat, VS_SENS as well as undervoltage protection
for high and low side driver supply, gate source
voltage limitation of high side drivers, and
over-temperature warning.Via the SPI interface the
following functions can be configured in a simple
and flexible manner: amplifier factor of voltage
limitation, overcurrent threshold, interface
function, and error interrupts. Together with a low
sleep-mode current (typ. 15µA), the IC is a high
performance package for efficient motor control.For
more information, application notes and samples
please send an e-mail to sales@elmos.de with the
subject “E910.87”, visit our website at www.elmos.de,
or call: +49 231 7549 100.
Features:
●Complete configuration via SPI interface
●Supply voltage range 4V to 27V
●Control of 3 external NMOS half-bridges (B6 Bridge)
●Gate driver current up to 300mA
●Cross current regulation / automatic death-time
generation
●Complete protection against shortcuts in the power
part
●Charge pump, 100% PWM possible
●Integrated free run comparators with programmable
interface
●Adjustable differential input current measurement
amplifier
●PWM frequency of up to 60kHz
●Protection against overvoltage and undervoltage,
overcurrent and over-temperature
●Temperature range: -40°C to +125°C
●QFN 7x7 44Ld package |
◎
2009/11/04 ELMOS and NEC Electronics Announce Sample
Shipment of 4 New Single-Chip IO-Link Solutions
High Integrated Transceiver - Extensive Choice of
Memory Variants
KAWASAKI (Japan), DUESSELDORF and DORTMUND
(Germany), Nov 4, 2009 — ELMOS Semiconductor AG (FSE:
ELG) and NEC Electronics (TSE: 6723) today announced
the availability of its four new single-chip IO-Link
solutions for IO-Link slave applications. This
project is based on a close cooperation with TMG-Karlsruhe.
The new IO-Link solutions combine NEC Electronics’
All Flash™ 78K0R 16-bit microcontroller and ELMOS
IO-Link transceiver, with integrated IO-Link slave
protocol stack in a single package. The part numbers
differ according to their flash memory capacity;
uPD78F8040 offers 32 kilobytes (KB), uPD78F8041
offers 64 KB, uPD78F8042 offers 96 KB, and
uPD78F8043 offers 128 KB of flash memory.IO-Link is
the preferred standard serial digital communications
protocol used for sensors and actuators in
industrial automation systems. IO-Link offers the
following advantages:
●Compatible integration into existing fieldbus or
Industrial Ethernet environment
●Process, parameter and diagnosis data in one cable
●compatible cabling to existing sensor communication
One key advantage of using the IO-Link slave
protocol stack offered with the NEC Electronics’
solutions is that minor upgrades could be included
if the IO-Link specification is enhanced,
significantly reducing development time and effort.
Alternatively, designers can opt to develop and
maintain their own software stacks. The ELMOS
transceiver integrates significant analogue
components, which enable system designers to
eliminate use of additional external components and
develop a complete IO-Link slave product at low
cost. NEC Electronics provides extensive product
range to include a choice of memory variants all in
the same device package. Developers can choose from
4 pin-compatible memory configurations in an 8mm x
8mm 56-pin QFN package making it easy to switch to a
larger memory if more software is needed. Flash
sizes from 32 KB to 128 KB will be available. This
also allows developers to use the same PCB for
multiple designs even though different amounts of
software may be required. A 32 KB device can easily
be replaced by a 128 KB device without having to
re-design the PCB.To support system designers in
using the IO-Link single-chip solution, NEC
Electronics and ELMOS can also provide a
comprehensive development kit at lower cost than
most of the other kits in the market. The 78K0R
Link-It! kit is available now. The IO-Link market is
now beginning to show real promise and ELMOS and NEC
Electronics are working with several vendors some of
whom are already engaged in development projects.
ELMOS and NEC Electronics are well placed to enable
system designers to quickly and easily achieve
differentiated designs using the only single-chip
IO-Link solution available on the market |
◎
2009/10/01 Perfect solution for a secure sensor
systems: PSI5 BUS system
ELMOS’ integrated circuit E981.08 connects up to 12
sensors
Dortmund: With the E981.08 ELMOS Semiconductor AG
presents an interface IC for the configuration of a
PSI5 network. The PSI5 network is perfectly suited
for secure and fast sensor systems. The ELMOS IC
makes it possible to communicate with three sensors
in parallel at each of the four channels.
Applications can be airbag systems with pressure
sensors, angle detection sensors (e.g. accelerators
in cars), or acceleration sensors.Samples and
evaluation boards are available and can be requested
through our website at www.elmos.de/englisch/products/order-samples.The
ELMOS chip has the following main features: the data
word width is 10bit, the circle time 500µs, the
amount of time slots 3, and the transfer rate
125kbit/s. The supply voltages VBUS and VSYNC are
between 8.5V and 16V (VBUS and 14V-34V (VSYNC)).
Furthermore, a 5V or 3.3V supply is needed for the
digital part.PSI5 is an open standard initiated by
the companies Autoliv, Bosch, and Continental. In
comparison with the analogue variants this solution
has advantages like e.g. EMC-safe digital data
transfer at reduced system complexity. Bidirectional
communication for sensor configuration and diagnosis
is provided as well.The transfer rates are 125 resp.
189kBit/s. They are considerably faster than LIN
connections but slower than a CAN Bus, the use of
which requires more wiring and higher cost .Together
with the sensor IC E910.85 and an additional
microcontroller, a PSI5 compatible transfer system
for airbag or pressure measurement applications can
be achieved. The E910.85 integrates a pressure
sensor with a chip in which pressure is measured,
filtered. The Manchester encoder, and the voltage
modulator are combined as a co-integrated system in
one package.
More ICs with the universal, fast and secure sensor
BUS system PSI5 are in development and planning
stages.
Features:
●four independent operating channels
●device parameters comply with PSI5-P10P-500/3L
(PSI5 spec 1.3)
●Applicable for parallel, universal and daisy chain
mode
●Channel output short circuit protected against 40V
and GND
●Current detection with adapted current threshold
●Data Manchester coded
●Operation with typical supply voltages of 5V and
3.3V
●SPI interface
●Overcurrent/overheating switch-off for each channel |
◎
2009/05/28 ELMOS: Motor control IC E910.69 and
evaluation boards available
For EC (Electronically Commutated) and DC motors
The E910.69 (universal control IC for
3-phases-half-bridge) is best suited for brushless
motors and for the full- and half-bridge control of
DC motors. For example, the chip is appropriate for
pumps and servo drives in commercial vehicles and
the industrial sector. The integrated circuit is
currently adopted already by a major German
automotive manufacturer in serial production for a
rear-wheel steering application.
Samples and evaluation boards are immediately
available. The E910.69 is a universal IC for the
control of 3 external NMOS half-bridge applications.
Each of the three half bridges is controlled by a
separate logic input. The six external n-channel
power transistors can be driven with pulse width
modulation (PWM) up to 20 kHz.The external power
transistors are protected against short circuits by
monitoring the drain-source voltage and against
over-current by current measuring on external shunt
resistors. The slew rate of the PWM signals can be
controlled by variation of gate drive current, to
adjust the driver commutation to the EMC
requirements of the system. Via a serial interface (SPI),
the drivers can be parameterized and diagnosis data
can be read out. Control of the high-side
transistors uses individual bootstrap circuits. In
case of low supply voltage, a charge pump provides a
higher voltage for the external bootstrap capacitors
as well as for driving the low-side transistors. Due
to a wide operating voltage range from 7 V up to 60
V, the IC can be used in 12 V, 24 V and 42 V vehicle
power systems. |
 |
◎
2008/12/17 Mostyle becomes the distributor of IMagis
in both Taiwan and China areas.
In December 2008, Mostyle has signed the contract
with IMagis - a Korean video manufacturer, and
becomes its formal distributor in Both Taiwan and
China areas. IMagis' products are extensively
applied in 3C products, such as PND, Mobile, Car
Navigator and so on.The largest international
customers for these products are Samsung, LG, Nokia.
The products have press close to customers' product
core and be used extensively now. |
◎
2008/11/24 NEC Electronics Europe and ELMOS announce
the world’s first IO-Link one-chip-solution for
Industrial Automation sensors and actuators
Düsseldorf and Dortmund (Germany): NEC Electronics
(Europe) GmbH and ELMOS Semiconductor AG announced
today that they have developed the world’s first
IO-Link one-chip solution for sensors and actuators
used in industrial automation networks. The two
companies announced a partnership in September 2008,
and this solution is the first product in their
shared roadmap for IO-Link solutions.The IO-Link
one-chip device includes NEC Electronics’ 78K0R low
power 16-bit microcontroller and an IO-Link device
transceiver (PHY) circuit designed by ELMOS. TMG-Karlsruhe
was responsible for the design of the IO-Link device
protocol stack, an essential part of the complete
device solution. The collaboration between these
three companies significantly simplifies the process
of establishing an efficient industrial automation
network for customers. IO-Link is a new standard in
industrial automation that significantly improves
and modernizes communication between controllers
(masters) and sensors or actuators (devices) while
maintaining existing installations. Over the years,
sensors and actuators in production and process
automation have become increasingly more complex and
intelligent. Thus nowadays they not only acquire
measurement data, but also generate process,
diagnostic and parameter data, and can be
extensively configured. With IO-Link, users of
automation equipment can now fully exploit the
advantages of this increased intelligence quickly
and easily with low upgrade costs. As a result this
new standard has been taken up by most of the
leading automation equipment manufacturers in
Europe.At SPS/IPC/Drives 2008 (Nov. 25-27, 2008 in
Nuremberg/Germany), NEC Electronics will be showing
the IO-Link one-chip-solution on their booth #234 in
hall 6. The NEC Electronics microcontroller and the
ELMOS transceiver reduce board space, eliminate the
need for up to 60 additional discrete devices,
improve performance, and lower software design
complexity as all functions run on a single
controller. The TMG licensable IO-Link device
protocol stack designed for the 78K0R CPU cuts
development time through an easy-to-use
application-programmer-interface (API) allowing
developers to simply call needed IO-Link
communications functions from their main program.
Prototypes of the IO-Link one-chip solution will be
available in the first quarter of 2009. Please
contact either NEC Electronics Europe or ELMOS
Semiconductor AG for more details. |
◎
2008/11/21 DC/DC step-down converter with high
efficiency
Series products available – three reference sources
Dortmund: ELMOS Semiconductor AG presents a fully
integrated DC/DC step-down converter (E910.27) with
an efficiency of more than 90 percent. The input
voltage ranges from 5V to 40V, the output voltage
can be adjusted to even slightly below the supply
voltage. The automotive qualified standard component
offers a typical shutdown current of only a 12µA.
Series products as well as samples of the E910.27
are available ex stock. In addition, evaluation
boards can be provided.
The chip with on-off hysteretic control provides
high efficiency with a few external components over
the whole voltage range. The integrated 2.8A power
transistor is controlled by a modified pulse-
frequency modulation so that high efficiency with
low as well as with high output currents is
guaranteed.In addition, the converter is equipped
with three possible reference voltages. An internal
1.2V reference allows the realization of an SMPS
with high accuracy, while the 0.2V reference allows
low-loss current measurements preferably in LED
applications. An additional external reference input
can be used, e.g. by means of DAC, so that variable
voltages and currents can be generated. Both the
reference voltage and the reference source<s>s</s>
can be selected by means of logic-compatible control
inputs.The maximum switching frequency of 300kHz
enables the use of small coils and capacitors,
saving circuit board surface and costs.
The maximum output current can be adjusted by a
resistor. It protects the IC against damages during
start-up and in case of short circuit.The IC is
provided with a programmable watchdog function for
the use in microcontroller voltage supply and can
deliver a RESET pulse as well as a “power-good”
signal.The DC/DC step-down converter is particularly
suited for applications in battery-powered systems.
Further application examples are high power LED
drivers, power supplies as well as output stages for
use in automotive and industrial applications.
Overview of the most important features
More than 90 percent efficiency
Wide input voltage range from 5V to 40V
12µA typical shutdown current
Three different voltage references
Watchdog, power-good and RESET function
–40°C to +125°C ambient temperature
TSSOP-24 exposed pad package for optimized heat
transmission |
◎
2008/11/05 ELMOS: Declining sales in third quarter
2008 due to car manufacturer crisis
Dortmund: ELMOS Semiconductor AG (FSE: ELG)
generated sales of 42.6 million Euro in the third
quarter 2008, corresponding with a 6.3% decline from
the prior-year quarter (Q3/2007: 45.5 million Euro).
Because of the global economic crisis, the volume of
orders received sagged considerably by the end of
the third quarter.
“The car manufacturers are particularly affected by
the weak economy. This affects our customers, the
supplier industry, as the first links in the chain.
For ELMOS this results in postponed or canceled
orders on the part of the suppliers“, says Dr. Anton
Mindl, CEO of ELMOS Semiconductor AG. The gross
margin came to 44.1% of sales as opposed to 42.7% in
the prior-year quarter and 43.3% for the first
half-year 2008. Progress made at the new production
location Duisburg, leading to a high production
output, and the structural changes of the U.S.
subsidiaries of ELMOS implemented at the beginning
of 2008 contribute to cost relief. Earnings before
interest and taxes (EBIT) of 5.2 million Euro
remained at a steady level (Q3/2007: 5.2 million
Euro). Expressed in percent of sales, the EBIT
margin climbed from 11.5% to 12.1%. Net income for
the quarter under report was increased in absolute
and relative terms. In absolute figures, it gained
slightly to reach 3.4 million Euro, or 7.9% of sales
(Q3/2007: 3.3 million Euro or 7.1%).In response to
the current weakness of the automotive industry,
ELMOS decided at short notice on measures addressing
costs and investments. The already started
conversion of the manufacture in Dortmund from
6-inch to 8-inch wafers for instance will be slowed
down until the market environment is clearly
positive again.As has been announced on October 14,
2008, ELMOS anticipates sales for 2008 at the
prior-year level. The quality of results is expected
to rise over 2007. Market stimulation is not
expected for the fourth quarter 2008. A positive
free cash flow remains on the agenda. The complete
report on the third quarter 2008 is available in
German and English at www.elmos.de. On November 5,
2008 at 11:00 a.m. (CET), ELMOS will hold a
conference call (in English) for analysts and
investors. The conference call will later be
downloadable from the company website.
|
in million Euro
or percent
unless otherwise indicated
|
Q3/08 |
Q3/07 |
Diff. |
9M '08 |
9M '07 |
Diff. |
|
Sales |
42.6 |
45.5 |
-6.3% |
133.5 |
130.4 |
2.3% |
|
Gross profit |
18.8 |
19.4 |
-3.1% |
58.1 |
54.0 |
7.7% |
|
Operating income |
4.3 |
5.6 |
-22.5% |
14.1 |
11.7 |
20.7% |
|
EBIT |
5.2 |
5.2 |
-1.0% |
14.2 |
9.5 |
49.0% |
|
Net income |
3.4 |
3.3 |
3.1% |
9.7 |
5.4 |
82.0% |
|
EPS (Euro) |
0.17 |
0.17 |
3.1% |
0.50 |
0.28 |
82.1% |
|
◎2008/08/13 ELMOS with solid performance in 2nd
quarter 2008
Sales up 7% – Further margin improvement
Dortmund: ELMOS Semiconductor AG (FSE: ELG)
increased sales and improved its earnings in the
second quarter 2008. Sales grew by 6.8% to 46.6
million Euro (Q2/2007: 43.7 million Euro). The
semiconductor segment contributed to this growth
with an increase of 8.4%. The gross profit climbed
by 12.2% to 20.4 million Euro (Q2/2007: 18.2 million
Euro), corresponding with a gross margin of 43.8%.
Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) gained
28.0% to reach 4.9 million Euro (Q2/2007: 3.8
million Euro). The net income rose to 3.6 million
Euro in the quarter under report (Q2/2007: 2.1
million Euro).“ELMOS showed a solid performance in
the second quarter and consequently in the first
half-year 2008. We were successful with respect to
sales and earnings. However, we direct close
attention to the economic slowdown and the situation
of the automotive industry in particular,” says Dr.
Anton Mindl, CEO of ELMOS Semiconductor AG. For 2008
ELMOS anticipates an increase in sales of 7% to 9%
and an EBIT margin between 12% and 14%. Against the
backdrop of the current economic situation
especially in the automotive sector and the weakness
of the U.S. dollar, we confirm this forecast at the
lower end of the target corridor. A positive free
cash flow is expected. For the half-year, sales
amounted to 90.8 million Euro (HY1/2007: 84.9
million Euro), the EBIT came to 9.0 million Euro
(HY1/2007: 4.3 million Euro), and the net income was
6.4 million Euro (HY1/2007: 2.1 million Euro). The
complete half-year report is available in German and
English at www.elmos.de. On August 13, 2008 at 11:00
a.m. (CEST), ELMOS will conduct a phone conference
(in English) for analysts and investors. The phone
conference will later be downloadable from the
company website.
Overview of financial figures Q2/08 and HY1/08
according to IFRS:
in million Euro or
percent, unless
otherwise indicated |
Q2/08 |
Q2/07 |
Diff. |
HY1/08 |
HY1/07 |
Diff. |
|
Sales |
46.6 |
43.7 |
6.8% |
90.8 |
84.9 |
7.0% |
|
Gross profit |
20.4 |
18.2 |
12.2% |
39.3 |
34.6 |
13.8% |
|
Operating income |
5.7 |
4.6 |
23.2% |
9.8 |
6.1 |
60.1% |
|
EBIT |
4.9 |
3.8 |
28.0% |
9.0 |
4.3 |
109.5% |
|
Net income |
3.6 |
2.1 |
72.0% |
6.4 |
2.1 |
204.0% |
|
EPS (Euro) |
0.19 |
0.11 |
72.5% |
0.33 |
0.11 |
204.8% |
|
◎7/29/2008 Long-term customer relationship with the
Swedish automotive supplier
Dortmund: ELMOS Semiconductor AG has delivered 100
million semiconductors to its Swedish customer
Autoliv. The customer specific chips are integrated
in airbags and other safety applications. ELMOS
works together successfully with Autoliv for roughly
14 years and delivers the specialist for automotive
safety systems worldwide.“We esteem the long-term
trust of Autoliv. The quality requirements are
extremely especially high in particular for safety
systems. ELMOS fulfils these levels with its
zero-defect-strategy and thereby contributesto the
success of Autoliv” says Dr. Anton Mindl, CEO of
ELMOS Semiconductor AG.“Autoliv focuses on highest
quality in all product areas. With ELMOS we have
found a reliable partner for highly-integrated
circuits. ELMOS distinguishes itself by its high
quality awareness”, stated Peter Kellerhals,
Purchase Director of Autoliv Electronics.The safety
systems are used in various models of European,
American and Asian automotive manufacturers.Autoliv
is a worldwide leader in automotive safety
applications. The company is a pioneer in both
seatbelts and airbags, and has the widest worldwide
product offering for automotive safety. The company
with its headquarters in Sweden has all together 80
facilities and joint ventures in more than 30
countries. The products are tested 21 crash test
tracks in 13 countries. Autoliv has roughly 42,000
employees und achieved sales of roughly 6.8 billion
US-Dollar in 2007.ELMOS is a leading developer and
producer of customer-specific system solutions for
many years in the automotive sector. Based on the
modular high-voltage CMOS technology, a great amount
of analog mixed-signal circuitry elements such as
voltage regulators, analog/digital converters,
power-drives and NVM storage offer a huge range of
integration possibilities for customers' ideas. |
◎07/02/2008 Trainees successfully complete their
apprenticeship
Applications for 2009 can be handed in Dortmund: Ten
trainees of ELMOS Semiconductor AG have successfully
completed their apprenticeship in the summer of
2008, with five thereof as a micro technologist.
Micro technologists are specially trained for the
work in the semiconductor production. In the 36
months long apprenticeship they learn the technical
processes in theory and practical terms, which are
needed to produce a semiconductor chip.“We are
promoting our young employees systematically.
Especially with the training as micro technologists
we gain qualified staff for our production. They are
able to achieve technological advancements
combined”, says Dr. Anton Mindl, CEO of ELMOS
Semiconductor AG. “But also the other trainees have
become specialists within their area of work.”From
now on applications for the start of the
apprenticeship in 2009 can be handed in. ELMOS
offers e.g. apprenticeships for the following
training courses: industrial clerks, management
assistant in informatics, office communication
assistant, micro technologist and physics laboratory
assistant. |
◎06/20/2008 LIN system basis chip fulfills high OEM
requirements
Chip E910.48 reduces systems costs – ESD performance
>12kV
Dortmund: With its E910.48, ELMOS presents a LIN
transceiver with an integrated voltage regulator.
The chip, equipped with a LIN 2.0 compatible
transceiver, also provides a watchdog with
adjustable triggering time. The E910.48 fulfills the
high requirements commonly agreed by the German OEMs
and is available as a volume product. A confirmation
of the release can be requested from the OEMs.The
integrated voltage regulator supplies the
application with a load current of up to 100mA. The
output voltage can be selected to be 5V or 3.3V. By
using an optional series resistor, the power
dissipation in the IC can be reduced to enable the
maximum load current over the entire temperature
range of -40°C to +125°C. At low supply voltages an
internal bypass transistor keeps the drop-out
voltage low. If needed, higher currents can be
realized by means of an external transistor. The
voltage regulator allows stable operation with a
bypass capacitor as low as 100nF and therefore
reduces the costs for external components.The
watchdog and the reset generation are configurable
in various ways. Common values can be defined
without external components, thereby minimizing
system costs. Other settings can be realized via
cost-effective resistor circuits. A battery voltage
monitoring routine generates a “reset warning”
signal below typ. 7V. This enables reaction before
shutdown, e.g. to save important data.There are
three ways to activate the voltage regulator: 1.
exceeding a power-on threshold after the battery
supply had been low, 2. a remote wake-up frame on
the bus, 3. a local digital signal wake-up on the
enable pin.Slope detection and debounce reliably
avoid cyclic wake-up in case of different kinds of
undefined bus potentials. A falling edge at the
enable input forces the IC into sleep mode and
deactivates the voltage regulator. Strong emphasis
has been laid on EMC and ESD measures to fulfill the
high automotive requirements. As a result, a system
level ESD stability of more than 12kV (according to
IEC61000-4-2) has been achieved.The IC offers all
necessary functions for operation in a
microcontroller circuit, not only in automotive
networks but in industrial applications as well. The
high grade of noise immunity allows the use anywhere
in a vehicle.
The most important features are:
LIN 2.0 compatible
Wakeup via bus based on slope detection and debounce
Very low standby current (typ. <20μA)
Two selectable output voltages: 5V or 3.3V ±2.0%
Stable voltage regulator with bypass capacitance
down to 100nF
Output current up to 100mA
Selectable watchdog windows: fixed: 35ms or 75ms;
variable: 3ms to 50ms
Reset pulse durations (10ms, 65ms) and programmable
threshold levels
Output slew rate control to reduce EMI
ESD protection on BUS pin >12kV according to
IEC-61000-4-2
Operating voltage range (VS) 4V to 40V
Bus voltage -24V to +40V
Over temperature protection
Output current limitation at bus and voltage
regulator
SO16 package, QFN 5x5 coming soon |
◎06/02/2008 Component Manufacturer Partron Selects
NemeriX to Enhance GPS Modules for PND and Mobile
Handset Markets
Manno Switzerland - NemeriX, a leading fabless
semiconductor company specializing in ultra low
power, high-performance A-GPS solutions for GPS and
location-based service (LBS) products, today
announced a partnership with Partron, a leading
component manufacturer serving the mobile phone and
PND markets, to incorporate NemeriX's
high-performance GPS solutions into Partron's
components.Based in Korea, Partron designs,
manufactures and supplies RF modules, GPS
components, VGA camera modules, antennas and other
components to handset and PND manufacturers.
Launched in 2003, Partron was founded by the
technologists who led RF-development for the mobile
communications division of Samsung
Electro-Mechanics. Since its founding, Partron has
become one of the world's premier manufacturers of
RF modules.By leveraging NemeriX's chipsets, Partron
has significantly enhanced the performance and
efficiency of its GPS modules - which are featured
in approximately 70% of all PNDs sold in Korea and
China. The enhancements delivered from its
partnership with NemeriX will help Partron increase
its PND market-share on a global basis, and also
provide a competitive advantage for Partron's
components in mobile phone markets."We've selected
NemeriX because of the quality of their products,
and because their technical support is first rate,"
said Steven Cho, Senior Sales Manager for Partron.
"The NemeriX chipsets integrate seamlessly with our
GPS offerings, and NemeriX's low-power design
provides a power savings of more than 60% compared
to some of the other GPS chipsets we've
evaluated.""Partron's innovation and technical
leadership in developing RF solutions for mobile
phones, PNDs and base stations is widely recognized
by our customers, and by many of the companies we
seek to do business with," said Lew Boore, VP of
Marketing for NemeriX. "We're thrilled to work with
Partron, and we look forward to a lasting and
successful partnership together." |
◎05/27/2008 Sun angle sensor with a planar set-up
Precise angle measurement at a very small surface
Dortmund: ELMOS Semiconductor AG presents a sun
angle sensor with a planar set-up (E910.86) for the
precise angle measurement of incidence of light. The
new ELMOS sensor needs no optics and is assembled in
a small package of just 4x4mm2. If this sensor is
placed sufficiently close to the dashboard surface,
a planar transition between sensor and environment
is possible for the first time. Samples as well as
demoboards will be available as of July 2008.Systems
for measuring the angle of incident light are
required for many applications in vehicles.
Certainly the most well-known among them is the
control of air-conditioning systems. For this
application, sensors are placed e.g. on top of the
dashboard behind the windshield to detect the energy
and the angle of incident sunlight for an optimized
control of air conditioning. The light reaches the
surface of the sensor directly, without optical
focusing or other manipulations. The sensor
principle is based on measuring the difference of
the photocurrents of two adjacent photo diodes. A
shadow mask placed on top of the diodes adequately
covers these photo diodes or leaves them exposed. As
shadow mask, one of the metallization levels
resulting from the IC manufacturing process is
utilized. Apart from the angle sensor, the IC
contains two photo diodes with a programmable linear
amplifier. The photo diodes have two different
spectral sensitivities (red and blue sensitive). The
amplification is programmed via the SPI interface
for both spectral sensitivities. The intensity
signal is released through an analog output. The
photo current is converted through the feedback
resistor into a voltage and then converted back into
a current by a second resistor. The resistance
relation thus determines the degree of
amplification. The amplification can be programmed
by the user over more than two decades. The
programming is made through the number of connected
diode segments (32 segments) and through the
resistor. This way the amplification can be adjusted
at 1% precision.A precise temperature sensor for
temperature compensation and for the control of the
additional application via an interface enhances the
application range of this IC.
The most important features in a nutshell:
Angle measurement range 15° to 165°
Operating temperature range –40°C to 105°C
Serial interface (SPI)
2-dimensional detection of angle of incidence
Measurement of angle of incidence with 3° resolution
2 photo diodes with different spectral sensitivities
implemented
Demoboard available as of July 2008
Potential applications
Air conditioning control
Automatic tinting of windshield/mirrors (glare
shield)
Illumination control (driving light/interior)
Blind control (building services engineering) |
◎05/07/2008 NemeriX's Lew Boore to Lead Key
Debate on GPS at IET & GSA International
Semiconductor Forum 2008
NemeriX VP Marketing to Head GPS Panel Session at
Major Industry Forum for Global Semiconductor
Industry
Manno Switzerland - NemeriX, a leading fabless
semiconductor company specializing in ultra low
power, high-performance A-GPS solutions for GPS and
location-based service (LBS) products,today
announced that NemeriX's VP Marketing Lew Boore will
be moderating a key panel session on GPS at the IET
& GSA International Semiconductor Forum 2008 (ExCel
London, UK, 14 & 15 May 2008). Boore will head up a
panel of leading industry professionals - including
senior executives from Air Semiconductor and CSR -
in a discussion entitled "GPS - What's your Global
Position?". The session, which will be held on
Thursday 15th May, will focus on the key challenges
and opportunities arising from the growth of
consumer navigation and location-based service
markets, addressing both business and technology
perspectives. Now in its fifth year, the IET & GSA
International Semiconductor Forum attracts
participation
from some of the world's major semiconductor
companies, and its leading industry figures. The
2008 event will provide two days of education
sessions plus a complimentary exhibition.Members of
the media interested in scheduling a briefing with
NemeriX can do so by contacting Nicky Davis at
nicky[at] evokedset.com. |
◎03/04/2008ELMOS to Cooperate With MagnaChip on
Foundry Services
Joint forces to focus on automotive semiconductors
Dortmund, Germany, and Seoul, South Korea: ELMOS
Semiconductor AG (FSE: ELG) and MagnaChip
Semiconductor Ltd. have signed a cooperation
agreement regarding the development of automotive
semiconductor technologies. In a second step, ELMOS
is going to use the foundry services of MagnaChip
regarding these automotive technologies, with
MagnaChip delivering processed wafers to ELMOS.Both
partners will benefit from the synergies generated
by the combination of the long-term experience of
ELMOS within automotive industries and MagnaChip’s
leading edge technology base and world-class
manufacturing capabilities. ELMOS’ customers will be
served with analog/mixed-signal solutions designed
by ELMOS and manufactured by MagnaChip following the
high automotive quality requirements. “ELMOS has a
strong reputation within the automotive industry.
This cooperation agreement is expected to enable us
to open and serve the automotive semiconductor
market with our foundry services,” said Channy Lee,
Executive Vice President and General Manager of
MagnaChip’s Semiconductor Manufacturing Services
Division. Supporting its outsourcing strategy, this
cooperation allows ELMOS to quickly react to varying
volumes by flexible and secure sourcing
complementing its in-house manufacturing
capabilities. The processed wafer material from
MagnaChip will be tested and assembled in the
established way under ELMOS’ management. “With
MagnaChip we have found a competent and reliable
partner for our special manufacturing requirements.
The partnership will enhance our long-term
competitiveness in the market and represents another
milestone in our network of cooperation”, stated Dr.
Anton Mindl, CEO of ELMOS Semiconductor. MagnaChip’s
Semiconductor Manufacturing Services offers over 170
process flows to its customers. MagnaChip often
partners with key customers to jointly develop or
customize specialized processes that enable
customers to improve their products. The company’s
manufacturing services are targeted to customers who
require differentiated, specialty analog and
mixed-signal process technologies, such as high
voltage CMOS, embedded memory and power. With this
joint arrangement, MagnaChip and ELMOS enter into a
clear commitment for long-term supply that will
enable automotive customers to participate in a
multi-site sourcing strategy for automotive
semiconductors. |
|
◎02/21/2008 Manno Switzerland - NemeriX, a
leading fabless semiconductor company specializing
in ultra low power, high-performance A-GPS solutions
for GPS and location-based service (LBS) products,
today announced that it will join a panel of
industry leaders and innovators to discuss the
future of mobile phone navigation and the LBS market
at a one-day navigation conference being held during
CeBIT - the world's largest ICT trade fair. The
Navigation Day @CeBIT 2008 conference will host
eighteen presentations and panel sessions, uniting
the biggest names in the LBS and navigation
industry. In a panel session entitled "Motion
Forward with Mobile Phone Navigation", NemeriX VP
Marketing Lew Boore will offer insight into the
future for mass market navigation and the
integration of LBS solutions into mobile handsets.
Boore will also provide key analysis of the
emergence of pedestrian navigation solutions, plus
the latest A-GPS solutions for acquiring positioning
information in urban canyon and "deep indoor"
environments (11:30am, Friday March 7th 2008, CeBIT,
Hannover, Germany).During the Navigation Day @CeBIT
2008 conference, 32 major device and software
providers will outline their strategies for
delivering compelling next-generation products.
Speakers will debate how to promote the benefits of
the rapidly evolving navigation market. The
executive-level event will also delve deeper into
the innovative products, services and business
models driving forward next generation navigation
and location-based services, and provide a rare
opportunity to hear key market players announce
their future development plans. All attendees need
to pre-register for the event. For the full speaker
line-up, agenda and more details please visit:
http://www.telematicsupdate.com/info/475 or contact
Abbie Badcock at abbie@telematicsupdate.com or phone
+44 207 375 7581. Members of the media interested in
scheduling a briefing with NemeriX can do so by
contacting Nicky Davis at nicky{at]evokedset.com |
◎02/11/2008 Presentation of innovative HMI concepts
and intelligent motor drives at the fair
Dortmund: For the first time ELMOS Semiconductor AG
presents its product portfolio at the Embedded
World. Innovative Human-Machine-Interface (HMI)
concepts according to the HALIOS® principle,
intelligent EC motor drives based on VirtuHall® and
efficient DC/DC converters take the centre stage.
The Embedded World 2008 takes place from February 26
to 28, 2008 in Nuremberg.“With ELMOS solutions our
customers can differentiate themselves from their
competitors. The products presented dispose of key
unique selling propositions in their respective
application areas”, says Dr. Frank Rottmann, member
of the board for sales and development of ELMOS
Semiconductor AG. The optical HALIOS® principle
facilitates the measurement of proximity and contact
of humans or objects through IR transparent
surfaces. With the showcased ASSP chip E909.05
movement in all three dimensions can be detected.
Typical applications are e.g. mechanical free
keypads for septic and harsh environments behind
glass. Furthermore, gesture controlled lamps with no
need for mechanical switches, can be turned on and
off or dimmed. The IR detection is independent of
any ambient light influences and works reliably
under extreme fluctuating light. The VirtuHall®
motor driving principle allows for sensor-less
recognition of the rotor position of brushless EC
motors. This method always uses the same principle
from standstill to high motor rotation without
disturbances in the transition areas. Therefore this
principle is ideally suited for all kinds of EC
motor driving systems and underlines the advantages
of this simply constructed and robust type of motor
even more. With the E910.27 ELMOS presents a fully
integrated DC/DC Step Down Converter, which achieves
efficiency of more than 90 percent. The wide input
voltage range reaches from 5V to 40V, the output
voltage can be adjusted to just under the supply
voltage. Additionally the automotive qualified
standard component offers a 12µA typical shutdown
current. As a special highlight the converter
provides three possible reference voltages. A 1.22V
reference permits the assembly of voltage sources
with high accuracy, while the 0.2V reference makes
low-loss current measurements possible for example
in LED applications. The third reference can be
adjusted from the outside so that variable voltages
and currents can be generated.
|
◎02/05/2008
Manno Switzerland - NemeriX, a leading fabless
semiconductor company specializing in ultra low
power, high-performance A-GPS solutions for GPS
and location-based service (LBS) products, today
announced that it will demonstrate its latest
A-GPS solutions enabling "navigation and
location everywhere" at Mobile World Congress
2008 (Hall 2, Stand 2H41, 11th - 14th February,
Fira de Barcelona, Spain).
NemeriX provides the world's lowest power GPS
semiconductors, enabling A-GPS solutions to be
incorporated into a wide range of handheld and
portable devices. NemeriX will be exhibiting its
complete range of high-performance, low-power
GPS systems for battery-powered applications -
including vehicular, pedestrian navigation and
location-based services. In conjunction with a
globally recognized and commercially successful
cellular baseband semiconductor supplier,
NemeriX will demonstrate and discuss the
successful implementation of its NX3 A-GPS
solution embedded within a baseband
architecture. Additional highlights
will include focus areas on NeX, NemeriX's A-GPS
Extended Ephemeris solution - targeted for
mobile handsets and other devices requiring the
ability to quickly acquire positioning
information "deep-indoors" or in harsh
multi-path environments - and NemeriX's hosted
A-GPS solutions, successfully implemented on a
myriad of operating systems often in less than
24 hours. Senior NemeriX''s executives will also
be on hand to share their perspective on the
'last mile' navigation market, as GPS starts to
be taken from the car and into the rest of our
lives. NemeriX will be offering their
insight into the next generation of
location-based services that will transform the
mobile user experience - including social-based
networking (find a friend/family member, dating,
gaming), location-based marketing, targeted
advertising, 3D imaging, mobile banking
authentication, pay-per-use car insurance,
litigation resolution for speeding tickets, and
much more."The latest GPS technology is putting
navigation into the palm of mobile consumers'
hands, however, pedestrian navigation requires a
fundamentally different approach from today's
vehicular GPS solutions - and a totally new
level of accuracy and technical expertise,"
comments Lew Boore, VP of Marketing for NemeriX.
"As leading specialists and solution providers,
we are at the forefront in addressing the key
challenges in delivering turn-by-turn navigation
in walking environments, and an 'in-car
experience' in indoor or dense urban
environments. This will be the key to
integrating GPS solutions into mobile handsets
that successfully deliver on consumer
expectations."
|
◎02/05/2008 Sensor interface chip E909.05 available
– serial production has started
Dortmund: With the IC E909.05 ELMOS presents a
sensor interface chip for the optical detection of
proximity and motion of objects up to a range of 3
meters. Inexpensive LEDs can be used as a light
source. The new application specific standard chip
(ASSP) is characterized by its high immunity to
ambient light influences. In addition, no mechanical
elements are required. The E909.05 is delivered in a
space-saving QFN 5x5 32 LD package.
An individual application can easily be realized due
to its integrated 16-bit microcontroller and its
parameters, which are adjustable via software. The
semiconductor has a 32 kByte-Flash and a 3 kByte
SRAM memory. Up to four emitters and one compensator
can be controlled with the E909.05.
The serial production has started. Thus, with
immediate effect the chips are available for use in
industrial and consumer products as well as for the
automotive sector. A complete optical module,
composed of optics and evaluation electronics, is
also planned.The chip is best suited for the
assembly of highly sensitive proximity and motion
sensors. When used behind translucent surfaces the
applications are also ideal for the use in harsh,
explosion-protected and antiseptic environments. The
E909.05 is based on the optical HALIOS® (High
Ambient Light Independent Optical System) measuring
system. Optical interferences, such as strong
ambient light, dirt, dust or temperature, do not
influence the performance of the HALIOS® system.
The most important features in a nutshell:
Controllability of up to four emitters and one
compensator
Automatic calibration of all relevant values
Optical principle without mechanical elements
SPI and I2C communication interfaces available
16 bit microcontroller with typ. 8 MHz
32 kByte Flash and 3 kByte SRAM memory
Supply voltage range Core 2.25 V to 2.75 V / IO 1.50
V to 2.8 V
50 µA standby current
2.5 mA circuit operating current
– 40°C to + 85°C operating temperature
QFN 5x5 32 Ld package
|
◎01/21/2008 Automatic parking system
Park4UTM with ELMOS chips
selected by jury
Dortmund: ELMOS compliments the
French automotive supplier Valeo on
the PACE-Award nomination for its
automatic parking system Park4UTM.
As the worldwide first system it
automatically steers the vehicle
into the parking slot within a few
seconds. The system uses ELMOS chips
for ultrasonic based distance
measuring. As a long-term partner of
Valeo, this is already the 5th
chip generation for distance
measuring developed and manufactured
by ELMOS.
Park4UTM parks the vehicle almost
autonomously. Drivers can take their hands
off the wheel, but keep their eyes on the
road as they control the braking and
acceleration of the operation at any time.The
PACE prize (Premier Automotive Suppliers’
Contribution to Excellence) is jointly
awarded by Automotive News, Microsoft, SAP
and Transportation Research Centre Inc.
Valeo has won multiple prizes for innovative
applications in the past years, e.g. the
lane departure warning system in 2005. ELMOS
chips based on the optical HALIOS®
technology are also used in this system.The
parking system Park4UTM was at
first installed in the Volkswagen Touran.
Now the system is also available in the VW
Tiguan and the VW Cross Touran. Furthermore,
Valeo could announce nine more contracts
with five European automotive manufacturers.
The press as well as the visitors at the IAA
Frankfurt Auto Show, Germany, gave very
positive feedback for the system last year.
„We wish our long-term customer Valeo a lot
of success in this competition. The system
is very easy to use and facilitates parking
significantly. The ELMOS ICs stand out due
to their high quality and reliability. They
form the base for this system”, says Dr.
Frank Rottmann, member of the board for
sales and development of ELMOS Semiconductor
AG.
|
◎01/18/2008 SMI Develops and
Supplies MEMS Pressure Sensor Array
to OMRON Healthcare, Inc. for Pulse
Wave Transient Blood Pressure
Measurement
Milpitas, USA/ Dortmund, Germany:
Silicon Microstructures, Inc. (www.si-micro.com),
a leader in MEMS silicon sensor
design and manufacture and a
subsidiary of ELMOS, today announced
that the company has been selected
by OMRON Healthcare, Inc. as a
development partner and supplier for
an advanced pressure sensor array
for pulse wave transient blood
pressure measurement – the so called
radial Augmentation Index.
The radial Augmentation Index measurement
method provides a novel and highly accurate
approach for non-invasive diagnosis,
screening, and monitoring of the arterial
condition, especially arterial stiffness,
arterial impedance mismatch, and cardiac
afterload. SMI’s experience with
ultra-miniature pressure sensors for the
medical and automotive market, together with
its superior design capabilities and
technology expertise for advanced pressure
sensing solutions has qualified SMI as the
supplier of choice for OMRON Healthcare,
Inc. “The selection of SMI as a supplier for
this advanced technology project by OMRON
Healthcare, Inc. is another strategic
milestone for SMI” said Rainer Cholewa,
President and CEO of SMI. “We have the
required level of expertise and the right
technology portfolio in order to address
high-end medical sensor applications, and
this design win underlines our strong
positioning in this market.”The array sensor
for OMRON Healthcare, Inc. is another
addition to SMI’s medical product portfolio,
which already includes an ultra-miniature
disposable catheter tip pressure sensor for
blood pressure measurement inside the
coronary arteries of the human heart, and a
range of differential low-pressure sensor
products for anesthesia equipment and
respiratory applications, like sleep apnea
therapy.
|
◎10/17/2007ELMOS Industries at the SPS/IPC/Drives
Fair booth especially with products for industrial
and consumer goods applications
Dortmund: For the first time ELMOS Industry, a
subsidiary of ELMOS Semiconductor AG, will present
its product portfolio at the SPS/IPC/Drives
specialized fair for electric automation (hall 8,
booth 8-501). The fair takes place in
Nuremberg/Germany from November 27th to 29th,
2007.The fair presence gives an overview of special
products for use in industrial and consumer goods
applications. Besides a few standard products, the
focus lies on a large portfolio of semiconductors
and sensors for measuring and controlling motors as
well as on optical input devices using the HALIOS®
principle. „This fair presence marks a milestone for
us, because for the first time we have the
opportunity to give a concentrated presentation of
our skills in industrial and consumer goods
applications. Our product range will be greatly
expanded in the near future, so that we can also
offer industrial customers new applications as well
as cost optimization based on a higher level of
integration. In order to market our products on a
wider scale, we have already signed contracts with
worldwide leading distributors”, says Dr. Frank
Rottmann, member of the board for development and
sales of ELMOS Semiconductor AG. The exhibited
VirtuHall® motor driving principle allows
sensor-less recognition of the rotor position of
brushless EC motors. A special feature of this
method is that it always uses the same principle
from standstill to high motor rotation without
disturbances in the transition areas. Therefore this
principle is ideally suited for all kinds of EC
motor driving systems and underlines again the
advantages of this particularly simply constructed
and robust type of motor: Neither abrasion prone
brushes nor additional sensors and their cables will
be needed in future modern industrial equipment.
Also on display are competencies for controlling
stepper and dc motors. A specific highlight is the
ripple detection principle for dc motors, because
here again sensor elements for the position
detection of the rotor are not required. ICs with
ripple detection to control the revolutions, e.g.
the ASSP E910.94, directly capture the speed of a
fan or pump motor by evaluating the current.
Therefore they drastically reduce the efforts needed
for controlling the motor.
The optical HALIOS® principle is especially
interesting for customers in the medical, industrial
and consumer goods sectors. The ASSP E909.01 and
E909.05 are special evaluation ICs for measuring
proximity and touch of fingers, hands or materials
behind IR transparent surfaces. 1, 2 and 3
dimensional movement can thus be detected. Typical
applications are e.g. keypads for septic and rough
environments (explosion control) behind glass.
Furthermore, gesture controlled actuators e.g. lamps
without mechanical switches, can be turned on and
off or dimmed with the HALIOS® technology. Ambient
influences, e.g. strong or changing light impact, do
not interfere with the IR detection.
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◎09/21/2007Sensor less speed control of DC motors
Application specific integrated circuit E910.94
available Dortmund:
ELMOS presents the E910.94, a semiconductor chip for
the sensor less speed control of DC motors. This IC
further strengthens and expands the ELMOS
comprehensive motor controller portfolio.
The E910.94 was developed to control the number of
revolutions of a DC motor in combination with an
external micro controller (μC). For the detection of
the number of revolutions the ripples of the current
occurring at commutation are detected and measured
(ripple detection principle). This information is
submitted to the μC as a digital signal, while at
the same time the motor current is delivered as a
strengthened, analogue.The μC controls the motor
voltage via a PWM signal (5V level), which is tested
on plausibility grounds, to activate the emergency
function in case an error occurs. The mean PWM value
controls the motor voltage by means of an
amplification factor adjustable through two external
resistors. The motor driver function is carried out
by a 20 kHz PWM signal and is realized either
through two external power FETs or through one high
side FET with free wheeling diode. The duty cycle of
the PWM automatically adapts to the actual supply
voltage to achieve the desired motor voltage. A
combination of a bootstrap circuit and an internal
charge pump enables a 100% duty cycle.
|
◎09/10/2007BMW banks on ELMOS FlexRayTM chips in the
future
Start of delivery in 2008 from manufacture in
Dortmund
Dortmund: ELMOS Semiconductor AG is a supplier of
integrated circuits of the new high-speed bus
standard FlexRayTM at BMW. Delivery is expected to
start mid-2008 and will include a star coupler for
FlexRayTM systems to begin with. The newly developed
integrated circuit replaces four conventional single
transceivers and therefore enables space and cost
optimized control devices.At the end of 2006 BMW was
the first car manufacturer worldwide to integrate
FlexRayTM in its new X5 model for real-time
communication in the active chassis control. In the
coming years BMW will introduce the high-speed bus
FlexRayTM as the new standard for time critical
applications. ”To be listed as a FlexRayTM supplier
by BMW is a great success for ELMOS and further
motivation to increase our competence in
bus-systems. We are the first company worldwide that
have successfully developed a FlexRayTM star coupler
and are able to offer our customers a unique
solution. For ELMOS the delivery of key integrated
circuits is an important element for future growth”,
says Dr. Frank Rottmann, member of the board for
sales and development at ELMOS Semiconductor AG.
The ELMOS FlexRayTM IC E910.56 is a fourfold star
coupler, which can be roused via network and has its
own SPI diagnoses interface at its disposal. Thus
the IC enables a comprehensive functionality for
diagnoses coupled with appropriate error detection
and treatment. The E910.56 allows for a low-priced
and space-saving intelligent FlexRayTM network
management. Due to optimized EMC behaviour the star
coupler handles high data streams of up to 10 Mbit/s
and offers real-time networking. FlexRayTM will be
established as the future high-speed bus standard in
the whole automotive industry.
ELMOS has 20 years of experience in the development
and production of semiconductor chips and is one of
the worldwide leading suppliers of ICs for bus
systems in the automobile. The ELMOS portfolio
contains ICs for different bus standards such as
CAN, K-Bus, LIN, byteflight and FlexRayTM.
For BMW alone ELMOS has delivered more than 100
million bus transceivers up to now.
|
◎NemeriX delivers industry's first scalable hosted &
stand-alone A-GPS platform targeting multi-wireless
needs of handset customers
New platform enables customers to develop embedded
hosted A-GPS & integrated wireless technologies on
one platform - and achieve Q3-2008 design-in targets
October 15, 2007, Manno Switzerland - NemeriX, a
leading provider of A-GPS semiconductor solutions,
announced today the release of its 4th generation
A-GPS navigation platform: the NemeriX NX4.
This modular, scalable, hosted & stand-alone A-GPS
navigation solution directly targets the strategic
roadmaps of mobile handset vendors. Like the three
NemeriX GPS generations which precede it, the NX4 is
designed to be an industry leader on low power and
high sensitivity, provide top tier performance
(e.g., tracking, TTFF time-to-first-fix), and have
the lowest bill-of-materials (BOM).
Commensurate with record investments in the GPS
space, large mobile handset vendors (and suppliers)
are demanding single-package, GPS-enabled
multi-wireless solutions by the third quarter of
2008, followed by total wireless integration shortly
thereafter. The NX4 platform provides users with the
ability to choose hosted or stand-alone A-GPS
architectures within a single chip, as well as
migration to 65nm RFCMOS and integrated baseband for
multi-wireless applications (e.g., BlueTooth, WiFi,
and FM). The NX4 has already been selected by a
major handset provider as its next GPS solution -
proving the NX4's outstanding performance and
flexibility.
"Our customers are clear that they want a
high-performance, low-power single-package,
GPS-enabled multi-wireless solution no later than
the second half of 2008 and a single-die
multi-wireless 65nm RFCMOS solution by 2010," states
Luc Seraphin, Managing Director of NemeriX. "Already
having a Tier 1 kick-off customer for the NX4 is a
tribute to NemeriX's four generations of GPS
know-how since 2002 and a clear validation that the
NX4 can enable our partners' roadmaps."
"GPS capability is turning out to be the "keystone"
of the mobile phone industry. Compared to the -75dBm
sensitivity typical of other wireless devices, GPS's
-162dBm sensitivity makes it the bottleneck to
wireless integration. Coupled with the GSM base-band
integration aspect of hosted-GPS architectures, this
means that once the new multi-wireless solutions are
designed-in, starting at the end of 2008, they will
be very hard to displace. The barriers to entry will
be enormous. GPS is quietly but fundamentally
changing the rules of the mobile handset game.
Suppliers with GPS capabilities will find this a
lucrative development. However, those without GPS
may find themselves out of the mobile handset
business before they know it," commented Eric
Achtmann, Vice Chairman of NemeriX.
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◎NemeriX
Delivers the Industry's Best Performing A-GPS
Technology to Customers, Free Of Charge
New NeX Technology
Enhances the User Experience by Providing the
Fastest Time-To-Navigate and Best Overall
Performance for Handsets and PNDs
MANNO,
Switzerland--NemeriX today announced the free
and immediate availability of NeX (NemeriX
Extended Ephemeris) Assisted GPS technology on
all NemeriX NX3 GPS platforms. Via its
patent-pending approach, NemeriX's NeX A-GPS
technology significantly shortens the time it
takes for a GPS receiver to acquire satellites
and compute an accurate position, even in
deep-indoor or harsh multi-path environments.
To calculate a
position, a GPS receiver must locate a minimum
of four satellites. Once connected, downloads
can take over 30 seconds, even under optimal
signal conditions. NemeriX's NeX technology
accelerates this process by storing location
data for all functional GPS satellites, for
seven days. Satellite data is then transferred
at one time to a mobile handset or personal
navigation device via an extremely small file.
The uniquely small file size means it can be
delivered via a variety of transmission methods,
or updated each time a user turns on their
handset. Storing satellite location data in this
fashion boosts performance 2X for GPS receivers,
by reducing the time it takes to calculate a
position on the ground.
NemeriX's NeX
delivers a 2-20 second Time-to-First-Fix (TTFF)
capability, under hot-, warm-, and cold-start
conditions. This represents a 2X advantage over
competitive offerings. NeX also features 33%
better accuracy and a file size one third the
size of other offerings. NeX is also compliant
with SUPL, enabling it to be integrated into any
GPS device. Server independent, NeX is offered
at no additional cost on NemeriX platforms.
"With the enormous
growth in PNDs and more than 900 million
handsets sold yearly, the opportunity to provide
location based services to this marketplace is
enormous for providers who can address
consumers' needs in an easy and affordable way,"
said Lew Boore, Vice President of Marketing for
NemeriX. "NemeriX has built its entire GPS
product line on addressing the needs of our
customers to provide the market with
differentiated solutions that provide the
optimal user experience. We're offering NeX for
free to fit the business models of cellular
operators, handset manufacturers and PND
customers."
Research by
several leading analysts suggests that the
expectations for Location Based Services differ
throughout the value chain. Consumers care more
about performance - finding a location
immediately, the first time, and every time they
use their device; whereas operators and handset
manufacturers must also take into account power
consumption, cost, and the size of the GPS
receiver.
NemeriX's GPS
platforms meet the expectations of consumers,
operators and handset manufacturers, by
providing the lowest power, highest-performance
GPS ICs available in the industry today.
NemeriX's roadmap of solutions is targeted
toward the needs of customers and consumers in
the dynamic location-based world of tomorrow.
NemeriX's NeX
technology supports SUPL, C-Plane and is
compatible with RRLP and RRC. It is also
interoperable with independent third-party
server-side technologies. The out-of-coverage
A-GPS capabilities provided by NeX enable
handset manufacturers to develop new and
differentiated location-based services with
enhanced assisted operation outside of cellular
coverage areas. This "navigate always"
technology provides GPS positioning in the most
difficult of environments - such as deep
indoors, parking garages, in deep urban canyons,
and under dense overhead environments - which
significantly enhances the user experience and
overall customer satisfaction.
|
◎05.12.07PIR
Light Controller for comfort light
applications
New Standard IC E910.84
With the E910.84 ELMOS presents a PIR
(Passive infrared) Light Controller for
comfort light applications. The IC is a
fully integrated motion detector for PIR
sensors, which, in addition, allows a
manual brightness control (dimming).
The ELMOS IC reduces the number of
external required components to an
absolute minimum while still offering
maximum interference resistance. An
internal circuit for environment
temperature compensation as well as low
power consumption complete the functions
of the E910.84.
The special analogue input enables a
direct connection of PIR sensors without
the otherwise necessary external signal
processing. The subsequent evaluation in
the IC is performed purely digital. All
usual operating parameters such as
sensitivity, on-time etc. are simply
defined by the provided parameter
inputs. The integrated circuit is mainly
conceived for load switching with a
Triac in 2 and 3 wire applications. Due
to the Triac, the brightness can be
controlled comfortably and by motion
detection. Therefore e.g. a basic or
emergency lighting can be realized – by
motion detection the light is softly
turned on (fading). Smooth fading from
“light off” to an individual brightness
parameter is also adjustable – an option
often used in private houses for night
lighting. The values for the transitions
“on – off” and reverse as well as the
brightness can be freely defined. In
addition the E910.84 has a relay output
for controlling other applications. The
on time duration can be defined just as
with the Triac control. A LED output
signalizes each motion detected for a
simple handling of the parameter
settings. More information regarding the
E910.84 as well as samples and
demo-boards are available by sending an
email to pir-info@elmos.eu.
The features in a nutshell:
fully integrated PIR motion detector
Dimmer function
Individual configuration of the
brightness
Adjustable on/off fading function
Input for environmental temperature
compensation
Low-Noise four quadrant Triac driver
Suitable for inductive loads
Suitable for 115V/60Hz and 230V/50Hz
systems
Internal voltage supply
Low power consumption
SO20 JEDEC Package
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Bosch Sensortec and Nemerix partner to deliver
revolutionary GPS multi-sensing capability for
enhanced vertical accuracy
· Improves vertical resolution with navigation
systems
· Optimizes turn-by-turn navigation while driving on
multi-level, stacked roads or tunnels
Bosch Sensortec Gmbh, a leading supplier of MEMS
sensors for consumer markets, and Nemerix, a leading
fabless semiconductor company specialising in ultra
low power semiconductors and solutions for GPS and
location-based service devices, today announced the
successful integration of their technology to
deliver a leading-edge multi-sensing GPS solution.
The new system, which offers significantly enhanced
results for navigating urban stacked road systems,
multi-level bridges and tunnels, will be
demonstrated at the Bosch Sensortec stand at Sensors
Expo 2007 (12-13 June, Donald E. Stephens Convention
Center, Rosemont, Illinois, Booth #515).
The innovative solution integrates the
high-resolution Bosch Sensortec SMD500 pressure
sensor with Nemerix's high-accuracy navigation
solution, offering the ability to identify if a
vehicle is travelling on the upper or lower levels
in a multi-level or stacked road, and significantly
enhancing turn-by-turn navigation in situations
where traffic is travelling in the same direction on
different levels of a road system, or where two-way
traffic is accommodated. By enabling fast and
accurate determination of altitude in a way that is
not possible simply by tracking a user's speed or
direction, the technology developed by Nemerix and
Bosch Sensortec facilitates timely notification of
approaching exits on stacked roads, and early
detection of wrong exits when two roads are
separating in almost parallel directions, but with
different slopes – a very common situation in
freeway "clover leaf" configurations.
Even with high-performance GPS systems, typically
the vertical accuracy that is achieved is
significantly lower than the horizontal accuracy.
This effect can be aggravated when the lower road is
obstructed by the higher road, causing very high
multipath that further degrades vertical accuracy.
This new state-of-the-art solution enables the
vertical performance to be significantly improved to
the level where a typical road-to-road vertical
distance of 10 meters or more can be unambiguously
resolved. By combining high resolution barometric
air pressure measurement data with non-biased, lower
resolution GPS-derived altitude, the two companies
have delivered a solution to the altitude conundrum
within performance, cost, size and power consumption
parameters that have not been seen before.
The SMD500 pressure sensor developed and
manufactured by Bosch Sensortec provides a very high
degree of resolution in air pressure measurement
while at the same time featuring very small package
size and ultra low power consumption, as required
for mobile devices.
"We are excited to see such an innovative
application for our SMD500 air pressure sensor,"
commented Dr. Frank Melzer, CEO of Bosch Sensortec
GmbH, located in Reutlingen, Germany. "This
breakthrough solution developed by NemeriX is
aligned with our strategy to provide innovative
inertial and pressure sensing solutions for new
applications, and also to improve existing solutions
in the consumer electronics market. Based on our
well-proven MEMS technology portfolio, we are
continuously extending and refining our product line
to serve the most demanding customers in the
consumer markets."
Nemerix Chief Technology Officer Lionel Garin said,
"This solution will allow users to accurately
navigate over-lapping road systems for the first
time. Our technology offers the flexibility to meet
the needs of today's GPS applications, while
delivering the future of revolutionary multi-sensing
capabilities for GPS navigation systems."
About Bosch Sensortec:
Bosch Sensortec GmbH, a 100 percent subsidiary of
Robert Bosch GmbH, which is the global market leader
for automotive sensors, offers micromechanical
sensors, application, and foundry services for
consumer electronics, security systems, and
logistics. Its product portfolio includes triaxial
acceleration sensors as well as pressure sensors.
The company was founded in early 2005 and is
headquartered near Reutlingen to the south of
Stuttgart (Germany). For more information about
Bosch Sensortec, go to: www.bosch-sensortec.com.
Bosch has been active in the field of MEMS since
1988 and is one of the pioneers in this technology.
Today, hundreds of engineers of the Bosch Group work
in the field of MEMS. A wide product range from
pressure and acceleration sensors to yaw-rate
sensors is manufactured for the automotive industry.
Annual production at Bosch amounted to more than 130
million MEMS sensors in 2006.
|
◎Wonde
Proud Chooses NemeriX for Next Generation GPS
Products
High Performance GPS Solutions
in New Generation of Handheld Devices Lead
Development of Personal Navigation
MANNO, Switzerland, June 5th 2007 - NemeriX, a
leading fabless semiconductor company specialising
in ultra low power semiconductors and solutions for
GPS and location-based service devices, announced
today that Taiwan-based OEM Wonde Proud Technology
has selected NemeriX for its new generation of GPS
personal navigation devices.
The latest NemeriX solutions will be integrated into
a range of Wonde Proud Personal Navigation Device
(PND) 'mice' - so-called because they look much like
a computer mouse. NemeriX technology is already
built into four models currently available in the UK
under the brands of Holux, OnNext and Polaris.
European brands include Adapt, XAIOX and
Oasis-Media. Depending on user preferences, handheld
devices can receive location-based services from
'push' or 'pull' providers. 'Push' providers
broadcast information to PNDs of users who have
elected to receive information from providers
relevant to their personal interests – for example
film theatres, Chinese restaurants, and jazz clubs.
A 'pull' location-based service provider makes their
information available to anyone who seeks to 'pull
down' (download) services from their PND.
Wonde Proud's Director Marketing Mark Hu said, "We
chose NemeriX technology due to its superior
low-power performance, high sensitivity and
reliability. NemeriX's solutions are already in our
CD100, CD110, BT77 and BT55 models, so this
agreement marks a further strengthening of our
partnership."
"We will also integrate NemeriX technology into our
new models including the BT100X, CD150 camera
detector, CD160 data logger, VT100 vehicle tracker
plus NJ2020 later this year. We expect to produce up
to 600,000 pieces in 2007."
NemeriX VP of Marketing Lew Boore, said, "NemeriX is
focused on the delivery of low-power,
high-performance GPS and A-GPS solutions that allow
our customers to differentiate themselves, as well
as provide consumers with the best user experience.
We are proud to have Wonde Proud as a key partner."
A number of organisations connected with the 2008
Beijing Olympics are said to be interested in Wonde
Proud PND devices. Four models are already on sale
in China under local brands.
With the new generation of PNDs, people will be able
to more rapidly and accurately pinpoint their
position and request location-based services. These
may be business facilities such as the nearest train
station or WiFi-enabled cafe or a more personal
benefit such as the nearest hairdresser or
date-matching service.
About Wonde Proud:
Wonde Proud Technology is specialized in GPS
navigation devices and CCTV surveillance equipment.
Wonde Proud Technology has been one of the leading
manufacturers of video processing of RF modulation
and A/V transmission systems in Taiwan. With
12-years experience, highly competitive R&D team
Wonde Proud Technology are now introducing the Wonde
X GPS series into the existing navigation market. In
addition, Wonde Proud Technology offers OEM/ODM
services upon request.
|
◎Transystem Inc Incorporates NemeriX's GPS
Technology into Its i-Blue Family of GPS
Receivers
Manno Switzerland, - January 22, 2007:
NemeriX (www.nemerix.com), a leading fabless
semiconductor company specializing in ultra low
power semiconductors and solutions for GPS and
location-based services, today announced that
Transystem Inc., has incorporated NemeriX' GPS
chipsets into its i-Blue Wireless GPS Receiver.
The i-Blue Model 727 is a cost-effective,
portable GPS receiver that sits on the dashboard
of automobiles, and connects to laptops or PDAs
via Bluetooth technology to provide
comprehensive LBS services. Its
performance is enhanced by NemeriX's 42 channel
architecture, which delivers world-class GPS
time-to-first-fix times in cold start mode.
Powered by NemeriX technology, the Transystem
i-Blue GPS receiver consumes 40-percent less
power than other wireless GPS receivers,and
extends its operating time for more than 27
hours.The i-Blue 727 model features the NemeriX
NJ2020 hosted GPS baseband processor, which
combines unmatched power, performance and
accuracy, with one of the industry's smallest
form factors,which utilizes the memory and
processor resources already available on the
host platform of the wireless i-Blue receiver.
As a result, the i-Blue GPS receiver is one of
the highest performing,
consumer-graded GPS receivers in the market
today."NemeriX is enabling a new class of
Bluetooth-based GPS applications and the i-Blue
GPS receivers combine amazing performance, with
efficiency that enables them to run for days, as
opposed to hours," said Lew Boore, Vice
President of Marketing for NemeriX.
"NemeriX has built its reputation by providing
the GPS industry's smallest and most efficient
chipsets, and we're thrilled to continue our
previous work with Transystem by powering their
i-Blue offerings.""We've selected the NemeriX
baseband processors for a number of reasons,
including performance; minimal power
requirements; the ease with which they can be
integrated into the i-Blue
family, and ultimately, because of the overall
value they provide," said Casber Hsiao, Director
of Sales & Marketing for Transystem, Inc.
"By leveraging NemeriX' innovative technology,
we're able to deliver the industry's
best-performing GPS receivers to our customers." |
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GPS RF
Receiver IC
|
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The
NJ1006A
device is based on a super-heterodyne
architecture and includes on-chip LNA, VCO and antenna
detector. The benefits of this architecture include low
noise and power, superior performance, small footprint
and simplified system design.
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GPS Baseband
Processor ICs
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Two
variants of the baseband processors are available. The
NJ1030A
is the lowest-power GPS baseband
processor, and the
NJ2020
has been designed to meet the needs
of indoor A-GPS applications.
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For more
information, please contact us freely.
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FUJITSU DVB
TOTAL SOLUTION |
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DVB -Terrestrial |
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DVB-Satellite
|
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DVB-Cable
|
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Application
|
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STB |
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iDTV ( Integrated Digital Television
)
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Mobile
STB / TV for car |
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SmartMPEG
MPEG-2 Decoders
|
|
 FME's
Multimedia Group offers a family of MPEG-2 decoders for
digital TV Applications (Set-Top-Boxes, IDTV). |
|
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Please contact our Sales engineers
for your product developing:
Taipei Head Office:
(02) 8797-2800 Bruce
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CITILIGHT
White LEDs CL-590
|
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 Citizen
Electronics releases a super-bright white LED lamp
CL-590 for use as an illumination source on
camera-equipped cellular phones.
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Fujitsu
PDA total solution
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1.
Use MB89935 8bit MCU
2. Integrate key,
charger, touch screen functions
3. Build in 8
10bit A/D, 21 I/O, 11 external interrupt
4. Build in PWM,
PPG, Timer, UART, SIO, Watchdog
5.
Free support original source
code and developing tool
6. 30pin SSOP
small package need no space
7. The power
consumption of Stop mode is only 1 uA |
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PDA
relating parts |
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Fujitsu: |
MCU
Flash Memory
DC to DC Regulator
Battery Charger IC
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Citizen:
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Chip LED
IrDA
Switch
Buzzer
Speaker
EL Driver
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| Win- Da :
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Microphone |
Sumitomo:
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EMI Filter |
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