Microelectronics world news

Microchip’s ATMXT2952TD 2.0 family of touch controllers offer cryptographic authentication and data encryption

As we see an increased number of electric vehicles (EVs) on the road, the necessary charging infrastructure must expand to meet the increased demand. Adding credit card payment options to EV chargers is becoming a standard practice in many countries—and is a mandate in the European Union—and chargers need to meet Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards. To help EV charger designers protect their payment architectures, Microchip Technology has launched the MXT2952TD 2.0 family of secure touchscreen controllers.

Typical touch-enabled human-machine interface (HMI) and radio frequency identification (RFID) combination-based payment systems are vulnerable to hacking attacks via malicious software updates or man-in-the-middle attacks when a user enters their personal identification number (PIN) on the touchscreen. Physical mesh barriers and sensors are often used around these integrated circuits (ICs) for protection from hacking. Constant reflashing of software and device resets are used to help safeguard software integrity. The MXT2952TD 2.0 family is designed to encrypt touch data and cryptographically authenticate software updates to minimize risk and meet PCI certification compliance standards. When the RFID reader IC and the touchscreen controller are on different printed circuit boards (PCBs), it is especially difficult and expensive to build physical barriers for hack protection. Embedded firmware on the MXT2952TD 2.0 provides a more easily implemented solution for EV charger manufacturers to remain compliant with security regulations and avoid the cost of adding a second, expensive touchscreen payment module to the charger.

The outdoor nature of EV charger HMI demands they withstand harsh weather conditions, function accurately in the presence of moisture and are resistant to vandalism. MXT2952TD 2.0 touch controller-based touchscreens remain effective when designed with IK10 standard 6 mm-thick glass, anti-reflective, anti-glare and anti-fingerprint coatings and IR filter/UV filter layers. Microchip’s proprietary differential touch sensing delivers exceptional noise immunity for superior touch performance even when used with thick gloves.

“The maXTouch 2952TD 2.0 family provides EV charger designers with a cost-effective, secure design architecture for implementing credit card payments with PIN entry on their touchscreens,” said Patrick Johnson, senior corporate vice president overseeing Microchip’s human machine interface division. “Combined with the rugged, outdoor HMI touchscreen technology that Microchip’s maXTouch portfolio is known for, the new addition to the 2952TD family of touchscreen controllers offers our customers secure designs and the exceptional touch performance necessary for outdoor applications.”

In addition to EV chargers, the MXT2952TD 2.0 family is well-suited for most unattended outdoor payment terminals such as parking meters, bus ticketing meters and other types of point-of-sale (POS) systems. The 2952TD 2.0 is specifically optimized for 20” screen sizes and its sister part, the MXT1664TD, is available for 15.6” screen sizes.

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Murata’s PKGM-200D-R vibration sensor detects high-frequency vibrations up to 11 kHz to assist predictive maintenance in production equipment. The device measures vibration acceleration along the Z-axis to detect abnormal vibrations, which can indicate early bearing wear and prevent unexpected equipment stoppage.

For rotary bearings, engineers can employ FFT analysis on vibration data to pinpoint irregularities caused by depleted grease or minor surface imperfections. By detecting these anomalies early on, FFT analysis enables proactive intervention, potentially averting impeding issues before they escalate.

Housed in a compact 5.0×5.0×3.5-mm surface-mount package, the PKGM-200D-R integrates a PZT piezoelectric ceramic element, driver circuit, and temperature sensor. Differential analog output reduces line noise. Specifications for the sensor include a detection range of ±10.2 g minimum, a frequency band of 6 kHz to 11 kHz, and sensitivity of 118 mV/g typical.

The PKGM-200D-R vibration sensor requires a supply voltage of 3.0 V to 5.2 V, with current consumption of 3.5 mA. It operates over a temperature range of -20°C to +85°C. The device is now in mass production.

PKGM-200D-R product page 

Murata Manufacturing 

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A microwave signal generator, the SMB100B from R&S offers four frequency options covering 8 kHz to 12.75 GHz, 20 GHz, 31.8 GHz, and 40 GHz. This midrange analog signal generator provides single sideband (SSB) phase noise of <-106 dBc (measured) at 20 GHz with an offset of 20 kHz and <-100 dBc (measured) at 40 GHz with a 20-kHz offset. According to R&S, the SMB100B also exhibits low wideband noise for all carrier frequencies.

Output power options of 25 dBm at 20 GHz and 19.5 dBm at 40 GHz are activated by keycode and can be installed at any time. In addition to the instrument’s standard OCXO reference oscillator, a high-performance variant is available across all frequency ranges. It enhances close-in phase noise and frequency stability, while reducing sensitivity to temperature variations.

The SMB100B has a standard 10-MHz reference frequency. An optional 1-MHz to 100-MHz variable external reference frequency input allows the unit to be integrated into existing test environments. The received reference frequency can also be sent to a separate reference output. A 1-GHz reference frequency input and output option improves phase stability between multiple SMB100B instruments.

The SMB100B microwave signal generator (up to 40 GHz) is available now and joins the existing RF models (up to 6 GHz).

SMB100B product page

Rohde & Schwarz 

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Tailored for automotive motor control, the TLE9140EQW gate driver from Infineon eases the migration of systems from 12 V to 24 V or 48 V. The IC drives three-phase bridges for brushless DC motors commonly found in automotive applications, such as engine cooling fans, water pumps, oil pumps, and HVAC modules.

Part of the MOTIX family of motor control solutions, the TLE9140EQW gate driver can be paired with Infineon’s MOTIX TLE987x and TLE989x 32-bit motor control MCUs. The driver accommodates a wide input voltage range of 8 Vsm to 72 Vsm and offers high-voltage robustness up to 110 V. It also provides a gate driving capability of ~230 nC/MOSFET up to 20 kHz.

The TLE9140EQW is compliant with the ISO 26262 ASIL B functional safety standard and operates over a temperature range of -40° to +175°C. Protection and diagnostic functions include overvoltage, undervoltage, cross-current, and overtemperature, along with drain-source monitoring and off-state diagnostics.

The TLE9140EQW gate driver is available now in small TS-DSO-32 packages. Infineon also offers an evaluation board to speed prototyping and ease the design-in process.

TLE9140EQW product page

Infineon Technologies 

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ST’s LDH40 and LDQ40 voltage regulators deliver up to 200 mA and 250 mA, respectively, for use in industrial and automotive applications. The LDH40 regulator provides an adjustable output voltage from 1.2 V to 22 V. Variants of the LDQ40 regulator offer either an adjustable output from 1.2 V to 12 V or a fixed output at 1.8 V, 2.5 V, 3.3 V, or 5.0 V. Output voltage tolerance is ±0.5% at 25°C and ±1.5% over temperature.

These two low-dropout (LDO) regulators start up from an input as low as 3.3 V and operate with up to 40 V applied. To help conserve battery energy in always-on standby systems, the devices’ quiescent current is 2 µA at zero load and just 300 nA in logic-controlled shutdown mode. Automotive versions are AEC-Q100 Grade 1 qualified and operate over a temperature range of -40°C to +150°C.

The LDH40 automotive-grade regulator is in production now. Adjustable-output LDQ40 regulators, in industrial and automotive grades, are in production as well. Prices for both the LDH40 and LDQ40 automotive-grade parts start at $0.47 each in lots of 1000 units. Fixed-output LDQ40 automotive components will be available in Q2, with industrial parts to follow in Q3.

LDH40 product page 

LDQ40 product page

STMicroelectronics 

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Version 5.4 of SignalVu Spectrum Analyzer software from Tektronix allows multichannel modulation analysis of up to eight signals in parallel. The software transforms Tektronix 5 Series MSO, 6 Series MSO, and DPO70000 oscilloscopes into a comprehensive wireless system tester. This latest update is particularly well-suited for time-domain analysis with RF measurements.

SignalVu Version 5.4 furnishes up to 26 wireless modulation schemes, including 1024-QAM to cater to the demands of higher-bandwidth applications. The introduction of shared-acquisition, multi-signal support enables the simultaneous analysis of signals that are frequency-separated, yet input through the same scope channel. This is important for the validation and optimization of advanced wireless communication systems, including phased array antennas, RF transmitters, and mixed-signal ICs.

SignalVu provides engineers and researchers with in-depth analysis of RF signals. It can be used in a wide range of applications for wireless, military, and government applications, as well as microwave and IoT sectors.

SignalVu Version 5.4 software is available now with a base price of $1670. Digital modulation analysis is offered as a downloadable license (Option SVM).

SignalVu Version 5.4 product page 

Tektronix

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The continual attraction of energy harvesting is well known. Who can resist possibly getting something—usually electricity—for nothing, or almost nothing? Yet the reality is that in many cases, the harvesting arrangement technically works but its cost in up-front hardware, longevity, actual harvested energy density, or other key metrics versus is an unbalanced, unfavorable situation.

But maybe that’s not a problem in a suitable application scenario. That’s what I found intriguing about a fuel cell developed by a Northwestern University-led team (which included three other universities) that harvests energy from microbes living in plain dirt, Figure 1.

Figure 1 Working in the lab, Northwestern University project leader Bill Yen buries the fuel cell in soil. Source: Northwestern University

The team does not make the usual extremely optimistic claims made by proponents of some other harvesting approaches that their innovative technique is going to “save the planet”. Instead, said Northwestern’s George Wells, a senior author on the study, “These microbes are ubiquitous; they already live in soil everywhere. We can use very simple engineered systems to capture their electricity. We’re not going to power entire cities with this energy. But we can capture minute amounts of energy to fuel practical, low-power applications.”

Where is this scheme a good fit? It’s a natural fit for agricultural IoT situations, where it’s necessary to know soil conditions such as moisture levels and temperature. The obvious solution is solar panels, but they don’t work well in dirty environments because they get covered with dirt, do not work when the sun isn’t out, and take up a significant amount of surface space.

Another option is non-rechargeable batteries, but they have a limited lifetime. It’s not practical to expect farmers to go find these scattered sensor devices to replace that power source.

Use of soil-based microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) is not a new idea, as they have been around since the early 1900s. However, their inconsistent performance and low output power, especially in low-moisture conditions, has impeded attempts to deploy them widely. Nonetheless, as project leader Bill Yen noted, SMFCs offer a large potential advantage (no pun intended), since “As long as there is organic carbon in the soil for the microbes to break down, the fuel cell can potentially last forever.”

How they work

I won’t try to explain the microbiology details, as the research paper does so both briefly and also in detail with the required chemical equations, Figure 2. It says that “In a SMFC, the biofilm growing on the anode oxidizes organic matter to release electrons, which becomes the source of electrical power. The cathode performs a reduction reaction to balance out the cell’s net charge, which requires oxygen as a reactant. The electrolyte facilitates ion exchange between the anode and cathode while preventing oxygen from penetrating into the anode.” That’s a good-enough explanation for me.

Figure 2 The electrochemistry of the microbial-based fuel cell shows how it creates electron flow. Source: Northwestern University

The team set out to overcome the limitations of existing approaches. They designed and tested multiple prototype versions over several years and took the best for literal field tests. That version owes much of its success primary to a new geometry, rather than advanced materials

Instead of using a traditional design, in which the anode and cathode are parallel to each other, that fuel cell used a perpendicular design. It worked well in dry conditions as well as within a water-logged environment.

The anode is made of carbon felt while the cathode is made of an inert, conductive metal and sits vertically on top of the anode; the anode is in the horizontal position while the cathode is at right angles to it, Figure 3.

Figure 3 The physical construction and alignment of the cell’s components is critical to achieving its performance in challenging conditions. Source: Northwestern University

The top end of the anode is buried but flush with the ground’s surface. A 3D-printed cap rests on top of the device to prevent debris from falling inside, while a hole on top and an empty air chamber running alongside the cathode enable consistent airflow.  

Since the lower end of the cathode is relatively deep beneath the surface, it stays hydrated from the moist, surrounding soil—even when the surface soil dries out in the sunlight. After any ground flooding, the vertical design enables the cathode to dry out gradually rather than all at once.

The results of their design were impressive but difficult to compare. The reasons are that there are different ways to assess performance, especially as the output is a function of many varying factors such as moisture level and its timing, temperature, soil type and texture, and more (note there are no defined IEC, ASTM or other standardized tests yet). This dilemma also makes it hard to compare the capabilities of this design to ones done elsewhere. 

One of their many graphs does give some sense of the available output, Figure 4.

Figure 4 One of the may performance graphs shows the small but consistent power output achieved, but there are many varying factors to be considered. Source: Northwestern University

The power level of the cell dropped significantly after it was “transplanted” to the outside. However, it still produced enough power to theoretically turn on MARS during spikes in moisture levels caused by occasional irrigation; see shaded red regions for the energy which can be used by MARS. (Note: MARS is a nano-power battery-free wireless interface developed by other, unrelated researchers in 2021.)

They integrated their design with an RF-backscatter scheme to transmit sensor data in SMFC-powered system, Figure 5. Backscatter operates on the order of nanowatts, making them suitable for SMFC-powered applications. By using a purely analog backscatter device like MARS, they achieved superior performance in terms of runtime availability and robustness without using batteries and storage capacitors.

Figure 5 By combining the SFMC with an RF-backscatter scheme, they were able to build and test a complete sensor and data-reporting module. Source: Northwestern University

How much more improved is their design compared to other efforts? Short answer: it’s very hard to say, primarily due to lack of a standard test procedure as noted. However, they did report they felt the data showed it was an impressive ten to 50 times better.

Also impressive is their published paper, “Soil-Powered Computing: The Engineer’s Guide to Practical Soil Microbial Fuel Cell Design” (at the Proceedings of the Association for Computing Machinery on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies). At 40 pages, it is the longest academic-class paper I have ever seen, and for good reason.

How so? It is not just a report on what they did and the results. Instead, it’s really a complete design course. It discusses how they designed, built, and evaluated various versions until they reached their final one. It also explains how they identified the shortcomings of each version, and the flow-chart they devised for each observed problem as they methodically approached each, strived to identify one or more causes, and then minimized the problem. As a result, the paper is a comprehensive tutorial in the realities of a total project cycle, even if the result is not a commercially abatable device as is the case here.

What’s your view on the practicality of microbe and soil-based harvesting for these field applications? Have you even been attracted to energy-harvesting designs which appear to have significant capabilities, until you looked more closely at the realities of their implementation?

Bill Schweber is an EE who has written three textbooks, hundreds of technical articles, opinion columns, and product features.

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